Brand Name Cymbalta by Eli Lilly is being discontinued!

@rockerjock79
What have your psychiatrist and primary doctor suggested with the Cymbalta discontinuation for you to try/consider? What guidance has Eli Lilly given doctors/providers with patients only taking the brand name medication? Are there antidepressants plus augmentation with antipsychotics to try to treat your symptoms (like bupropion and aripiprazole)?

Hello @rockerjock79 first let me say that I understand your anxiety and panic over this. I tried a different antidepressant for two years when a drug I had to take for cancer would interact with my regular, for me it is Zoloft. I tried two and they didn’t work and made things worse. I finally had to tell the doctors I could no longer take that cancer drug and we would just have to figure out something different.
I don’t think they are discontinuing cymbalta because they are making newer more expensive drugs, although I certainly would say that they absolutely do that……..a lot. In this case, it might be even worse, they found that it can cause cancer and had a complete recall.
I don’t have suggestions for you except to keep trying with your doctor to find some treatment or combination of treatments that will work for you.
Are you trying any new treatment now?

It was an impurity that could cause cancer and not the duloxetine itself. It could be that the cost to remove the impurity isn't worth it to them, but that's just a SWAG. Or a supplier might refuse to upgrade an intermediate. Or they reject too many batches of intermediates.

Does this mean that people who’ve taken it have been exposed to this impurity the whole time? I’ve been taking this medication for almost 18 years. To know that it can cause cancer on top of discontinuing it is a double whammy if that’s the case. I did read about this, but I thought it was one of the generic medication’s that it was affecting not the entire brand name and all generics. I wonder if this means that they’ll be discontinuing this medication altogether? If anybody has any more info, please relay, I would greatly appreciate it. Thank you so much.

I spoke to a representative at Eli Lilly again this evening but we got disconnected so conveniently, but she stated that even though Eli Lilly will no longer sell it through its own website or Lilly Cares, that you will still be able to get it through your pharmacy or mail order. I asked how they still make it without having it on their website at all? She stated it would still be made but not through Eli Lilly but only through mail in order or getting it through the pharmacy. However, it will no longer be listed on their website? Has anybody heard of this type of misinformation? Just when I called the other day, the representative told me they were just continuing it by the end of the year and whatever is left will just be dispensed. The representative that I believe gave me the wrong information that I just called today was transferring me to the department that knows more about the Cymbalta however they were closed. I’m just having hope that maybe they are keeping the medication but I don’t think that’s the case. I think the representative today is giving me the wrong information. If anybody is knowledgeable of how this works, please let me know. I guess I will try calling them tomorrow and talking to the appropriate representatives.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2024/12/12/duloxetine-recall-fda-risk/76948609007/
From the link.

"The bottles contain the "presence" of nitrosamine drug substance impurity, N-nitroso-duloxetine, that exceeds the recommended interim limit, according to the FDA."

"The FDA states that nitrosamine impurities "may increase the risk of cancer if people are exposed to them above acceptable levels and over long periods of time." However, it clarifies, "a person taking a drug that contains nitrosamines at-or-below the acceptable daily intake limits every day for 70 years is not expected to have an increased risk of cancer." "

I think you have nothing to worry about. You should check with your pharmacy about future availability of Cymbalta. I think only Eli Lilly can sell duloxetine under the brand name Cymbalta unless they license the rights to someone else. Frequently the difference between Cymbalta and other formulations is the additives other than the active ingredient. IIRC Cymbalta offered by others would need to be the same formulation, but generics are supposed to be equally effective. Unfortunately you are stuck with whatever version your pharmacy chooses to purchase so it would be difficult to try that from a new supplier each month. Every lot of every drug that is imported is supposed to be tested but some slip through. I understand that Walmart does their own testing.

I am sorry you are going through this. I have had a somewhat similar experience and the pharmaceutical companies don’t care. There needs to be a major overhaul in this country regarding mental health. I am talking duloxetine. I started out on Effexor, generic venlafaxine. Have switched between the two a few times over the years. Just wondering if you have tried it.

Thank you for this! I can use anything knowledge that I can get!🙏🏽

That is what I was researching online. It looks like Effexor XR and Pristiq are the most equivalent, but I’m afraid of all of these genetics after what I went through. I guess I can always try the generic form and if it doesn’t work, see if my doctor can do a brand penalty exception with the insurance to cover the brand name. I still can’t believe this is happening. It feels like I’m in a nightmare. May I ask how the Effexor compares to Cymbalta?

What is the price differential between Cymbalta and generics?