AstraZeneca discontinues Byetta and Bydureon BCise

AstraZeneca has notified the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that it discontinued two older GLP-1 receptor agonist diabetes injections: Byetta, discontinued Oct. 25, 2024, and Bydureon BCise, discontinued Oct. 28, 2024 ^[1]. UnitedHealthcare relayed the news to prescribers in a notice dated Dec. 19, 2024, along with a list of GLP-1 drugs it will cover instead ^[1].

What the notice says

The UnitedHealthcare bulletin is short and administrative. It states only that "Drug manufacturer AstraZeneca (AZ) recently notified the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that it discontinued Bydureon BCise and Byetta," and gives the two discontinuation dates ^[1]. The notice does not give a reason for the decision, does not describe any safety problem, and does not name the products' active ingredient ^[1]. It also does not say how long remaining pharmacy stock may last or whether any patients are still able to fill prescriptions. Those details are not yet known from this source.

Both products are GLP-1 receptor agonists used to treat diabetes. UnitedHealthcare framed its response as making sure "patients with UnitedHealthcare benefit plans continue to have access to a covered glucagon-like peptide (GLP-1) receptor agonist product to treat diabetes" ^[1].

The replacement lists

The insurer published preferred covered GLP-1 options that differ by plan type ^[1]:

• Commercial plans: Mounjaro (tirzepatide), Ozempic and Rybelsus (both semaglutide), Trulicity, and liraglutide, described as the Victoza authorized generic ^[1].
• Individual Exchange plans, also called Individual and Family ACA Marketplace plans: Mounjaro, Ozempic, Rybelsus and Trulicity — the same list without the liraglutide authorized generic ^[1].
• Community Plans (Medicaid): members and prescribers are directed to state-specific drug lists rather than a single national list ^[1].
• Medicare Advantage and stand-alone Part D plans: coverage is plan-specific and must be checked through the insurer's PreCheck MyScript tool ^[1].

A footnote in the notice describes the full set of GLP-1 products "currently available to treat diabetes" as Mounjaro, Ozempic, Rybelsus, Trulicity and liraglutide (Victoza authorized generic) ^[1]. Notably, that framing is about diabetes treatment. The obesity-indicated GLP-1 brands are not part of this diabetes substitution list ^[1].

UnitedHealthcare also told prescribers they can look up covered alternatives through real-time benefit check functions built into most electronic medical record systems, or through the UnitedHealthcare Provider Portal ^[1].

Why it matters for patients

For people who were using Byetta or Bydureon BCise, a discontinuation means the product will eventually stop being available at pharmacies, regardless of insurance. That is different from a shortage, which is usually temporary. It is also different from a recall: nothing in this notice points to a safety finding ^[1].

Practically, people affected by this change will need a new prescription for a different medicine, and which options are covered depends on the type of plan. A patient on a commercial plan may see one list, while someone on a Marketplace plan sees a slightly shorter one and a Medicaid or Medicare Part D member has to check plan-specific documents ^[1]. That means two people with the same insurer's card can face different covered choices.

Switching between GLP-1 drugs is not a one-for-one swap. The products on the preferred list differ in molecule, dosing schedule and administration — Rybelsus, for example, is an oral form of semaglutide, while the others on the list are injections. Any change would be handled by the prescriber, and this article is not guidance on which alternative to use.

It is also worth noting what the notice does not address: whether other insurers will publish the same alternatives, what happens to patients who cannot tolerate the listed drugs, and whether prior authorization will be required for a switch. Those questions are not answered in the source.

What happens next

• Oct. 25, 2024: Byetta discontinued ^[1].
• Oct. 28, 2024: Bydureon BCise discontinued ^[1].
• Dec. 19, 2024: UnitedHealthcare publishes its provider notice and preferred GLP-1 alternatives ^[1].

Remaining inventory will work its way out of the supply chain over time, but the notice does not give a date for when the last units will be gone ^[1]. Patients and prescribers checking coverage are directed to plan-specific tools rather than a single national answer ^[1].