The unavailability of T3

[Margo]

I just had this thought regarding the T3 problem. It doesn't make any sense at all, it is needed by more and more people suffering thyroid problems. The G.P.'s/Endo's don't appear to want us to have it. I don't suppose it is deliberate to get people back where they want us on Levothyroxine? Just a thought....

[PinkNinja]

The thought did cross my mind but I doubt it. It seems to be affecting more than just the UK and it is very worrying!

I was wondering if there was an issue due to people becoming more aware and therefore more people being prescribed, but it turns out there is a problem with the "active ingredient" that the manufacturers buy in to make the tablets. Lyn Mynott has been communicating with the relevant people about this and I'm sure she'll keep us all updated

Carolyn x

[Hidden]

Ever the conspiracy theorist, I suspect that it is more likely to be the drug companies. They make a lot of profit on keeping people ill so that they can sell their antidepressants, statins, "magic" weight loss pills, etc. etc. They also make money from levo and the TSH test so they don't want to rock the boat. I know from family members who worked within these companies

just how dirty their tactics can be.

I believe the film "Love and other Drugs" is on the telly tonight somewhere. To some it may seem like just another romantic comedy, but sadly there is a lot of truth in it.

Jane x x

[helvella Administrator]

Several people have written with similar misgivings.

From my point of view, I cannot for the life of me see how the GPs and endos would go about sabotaging Mercury Pharma.

Indeed, if (as suggested) the actual liothyronine ingredient is the problem, they would have had to sabotage Sandoz (or whoever makes it).

Remember that this shortage will be affecting people who have unequivocal and urgent needs for liothyronine. It will not only hit people who feel somewhat better with some liothyronine in their regime.

Remember too that Mercury Pharma appear to make a good profit on liothyronine. I can think of no incentive for them to fail to supply.

Rod

[Hidden in reply to helvella]

But, Rod, they make greater profit on other drugs for other things, and they don't want people to get well, because they spend millions defending their patents and they have too much R and D money to recoup on those other drugs which they would not then be able to sell. Jane x x

[helvella Administrator in reply to Hidden]

Mercury Pharma is not exactly a hotbed of research. They seem to have mostly produced generic versions of existing products.

mercurypharma.com/products/spc

I would be amazed if they do not earn considerably more per patient by supplying liothyronine than, say levothyroxine - even if they happen also to supply other products to the same patient. There is, obviously, no guarantee that Mercury Pharma would be the beneficiaries of sales of other products.

Let us consider one person getting liothyronine at a cost to NHS of, say, £50 a month compared to levothyroxine at, maybe, £1.76 a month. You'd need to be sure of selling another £48 or so of other product simply to achieve the same sales. And, though this is guesswork, it seems very likely that the profit margin is also better as a percentage on liothyronine.

(People like nobodysdriving, of course, with their need for much higher doses make the contribution to Mercury Pharma's coffers even more handsome!)

Yes it is true that the statin-mongers and the anti-depressant-mongers - especially the original licence/patent holders - make money out of those products. But by the time Mercury Pharma are selling generic versions, the prices have dropped and, I suggest, without knowledge of Mercury Pharma's accounts, that they would make no more per patient out of any of those types of product than out of liothyronine.

Rod

[Willowluv]

I thought they needed it for heart patients and also those you have a TT so cant see how they can allow it to out?? X