Lilly jabs at people who use new weight-loss drugs ‘for vanity’

Do you want to lose five or 10 pounds to fit into that fancy tux or party dress?

Eli Lilly and Co. has a new message for you: Don’t take prescription weight-loss drugs for vanity.

The Indianapolis-based drugmaker, which makes weight-loss drug Zepbound and diabetes drug Mounjaro, recently aired a new 30-second spot, just ahead of the Academy Awards, to underscore the message.

“Some people have been using medicine never meant for them,” says a voiceover, as a woman carefully smooths out a sparkly dress and then sits at a makeup table. “For the smaller dress or tux. For a big night. For vanity. But that’s not the point.”

The video shifts to workers rolling out a red carpet, and gaggle of photographers snapping away.

“People whose health is affected by obesity are the reasons we work on these medications,” the voiceover continues, as the video shifts again, this time to an overweight woman riding a bus, in a decidedly less glamorous setting. “It matters who gets them.”

It’s the latest message from Lilly, reminding doctors and patients that Mounjaro and Zepbound are meant for serious diseases, not for taking off a few pounds, reducing waist size or tightening up the jowls.

The reminder comes as demand for the drugs is threatening to overwhelm the company. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration database that track drug shortages said there will be limited availability of several types of doses of Mounjaro at least through this month. So far, it doesn’t list Zepbound, which contains the same active ingredient, but in different doses.

The two drugs, also known by their generic name, tirzepatide, are big sellers in the growing class of GLP-1 drugs, which regulate appetite and stomach emptying. Some people have referred to them as “miracle drugs” for the ability to help patients shed up to 20% of their body weight.

“Lilly stands against the use of its medicines for cosmetic weight loss,” the company said in an open letter March 7. “Mounjaro and Zepbound are indicated for the treatment of serious diseases; they are not approved for—and should not be used for—cosmetic weight loss.”

Last month, Lilly reported that Mounjaro, which it launched in 2022 and has also been prescribed off-label for weight loss, jumped into second place among the company’s drugs for revenue. It rang up sales of sales of $5.16 billion for the full year, putting it firmly in blockbuster territory.  Lilly said “significant demand” for the drug will cause intermittent delays in filling orders.

Zepbound, the weight-loss drug that Lilly launched in December, rang up sales of $175.8 million in the fourth quarter. The quarterly results are the first to include sales of Zepbound, which some analysts say could post more than a billion dollars in sales in its first full year on the market, making it an instant blockbuster.

“We have  point of view about how these drugs are being used,” CEO David Ricks told CNN last week. “These medicines were invented for people with a serious health condition. They were not invented just to have someone who’s famous look a little better.”