The FDA added famotidine, a generic heartburn drug being tested to treat COVID-19, to its drug shortages list, Bloomberg reported.
Researchers at Northwell Health in New Hyde Park, N.Y., are testing famotidine in high intravenous doses as a potential COVID-19 treatment.
Shortly after the hospital announced the clinical trial, Amazon, Walgreens and CVS all reported shortages of the drug, sold under the brand name Pepcid.
Teva Pharmaceutical, Carlsbad Technology and Aurobindo Pharma have all reported increased demand for famotidine, according to Bloomberg.
The shortage comes just over a month after the FDA asked drugmakers to pull supplies of another common heartburn drug, ranitidine, off shelves after finding it contained unacceptably high levels of a carcinogen.
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