Surge in demand causing shortage of laxatives, WSJ reports

A surge in demand from an aging population and extra interest from younger consumers has created shortages of polyethylene glycol 3350, the generic name for laxatives like Miralax and Glycolax, The Wall Street Journal’s Rachel Wolfe reports. The Fly notes that Bayer (BAYRY) owns Miralax and Dow Chemical (DOW) is also a producer of polyethylene glycol. Dow Chemical says the demand for laxatives has gotten so high since the pandemic that the company is building new factories to boost production of the sought-after powder.