The supply shortage of AstraZeneca Korea’s migraine treatment Zomig (zolmitriptan) Tab. has occurred again.

According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS), AstraZeneca reported a shortage of Zomig 2.5mg on Thursday. Zomig is a selective 5-HT receptor agonist and is licensed in Korea for the swift treatment of migraine with or without prodromal symptoms.

Zomig has experienced frequent supply shortages. According to MFDS, shortages were reported in September and October last year. This is the third shortage in just three months.

According to AstraZeneca, the previous supply shortage of Zomig has led to continuous stockpiling, causing another shortage since Jan. 2.

AstraZeneca expects the supply to resume next Wednesday, adding that the ongoing shortage is not expected to cause a significant effect on patient care. It explained that there are other medicines with the same or similar efficacy and effectiveness as Zomig, such as GSK’s Naramig Tab (naratriptan hydrochloride) and Imigran Tab (sumatriptan succinate) and Yuhan Corp.’s Almogran Tab (almotriptan malate), which have comparable dosages to Zomig.

AstraZeneca has submitted a plan to deal with the situation, saying, "We have requested the manufacturer to import and increase the supply quickly, and we will strive to minimize the occurrence of supply shortages in the future."