Eli Lilly now selling weight loss drug Zepbound at 50% discount

To meet weight loss drug demand, Eli Lilly today has begun selling vials of the smallest, starter dose of its popular weight-loss drug Zepbound in the U.S. at about half the price – $399 – for a month’s supply. That’s a 50% discount compared to the list price of $1,000 a month for other GLP-1 obesity medicines.

Lilly is selling the smaller vials on its direct-to-consumer website, LillyDirect, to try to increase supplies in the marketplace, since many patients have health insurance that will not cover weight loss medications.

Zepbound is typically packaged in an auto-injector pen that contains both the drug and the needle. With the new vials, patients will be able to use a syringe to draw out their dose and then inject themselves. The vials will provide a more affordable option because it saves production time to make than injection pens, according to Lilly.

The new vials will cost $399 for a 2.5 mg. dose ($99.75 per vial) and $549 ($137.25 per vial) for the 5 mg. dose.

This new option helps millions of adults with obesity access the medicine they need, including those not eligible for the Zepbound savings card program, those without employer coverage, and those who need to self-pay outside of insurance. The vials will also expand access to patients on Medicare, which doesn’t cover Zepbound.

Earilier this month, Zepbound, as well as its diabetes medication Mounjaro, were removed from the FDA’s drug shortage database. “We are … delivering on our promise to increase supply of Zepbound in the U.S.,” said Patrik Jonsson, executive vice president, and president of Lilly Cardiometabolic Health and Lilly USA. “These new vials not only help us meet the high demand for our obesity medicine, but also broaden access for patients seeking a safe and effective treatment option. In a clinical study, the 5 mg. maintenance dose helped patients achieve an average of 15% weight loss after 72 weeks of treatment.”

Lilly said the prices were a 50% discount to the list prices of rivals, which includes Wegovy from Danish rival Novo Nordisk. Lilly and Novo have been struggling to make enough of their obesity medications to meet soaring demand but in the last quarter, Lilly ramped up its manufacturing. The company raised its sales forecast for the year by $3 billion.

Lilly’s new offering is expected to take market share away from telehealth companies like Hims and Hers Health that offer medications produced by compounding pharmacies, which is allowed in the U.S. when drugs are in shortage. In addition, Eli Lilly has taken legal action to try to block the sale of some compounded versions of the drug, filing lawsuits against medical spas, wellness centers and compounding pharmacies.

Related: Eli Lilly partners with Amazon to deliver weight loss drug Zepbound

Lilly has created a new self-pay pharmacy component of LillyDirect where patients with a valid, on-label prescription from the health care provider of their choice can purchase the vials. “Expanding coverage and affordability of treatments is vital to people living with obesity,” said James Zervos, chief operating officer, Obesity Action Coalition. “We commend Lilly for … offering an innovative solution that brings us closer to making equitable care a reality. Now, it’s time for policymakers, employers and insurers to work with pharmaceutical companies to ensure no one is left behind in receiving the care they deserve and need.”