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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowEli Lilly and Co. said Tuesday it is now selling vials of its blockbuster obesity drug Zepbound for about half of the usual monthly price.
The Indianapolis-based drugmaker said patients with an on-label prescription can buy single-dose vials, a move the company said will expand access and supply.
The company said 2.5-milligram and 5-milligram vials are available for self-pay and are priced at a 50% or greater discount compared to the list price of all other medicines for obesity in the popular class of drugs known as GLP-1, or glucagon-like peptide-1. GLP-1 is a hormone that occurs naturally in the body and plays a role in regulating appetite, digestion and blood sugar.
The self-pay option enables a transparent price by removing third-party supply chain entities and allowing patients to access savings directly outside of insurance.
A four-week supply of the 2.5 mg Zepbound single-dose vial is $399 ($99.75 per vial) and a four-week supply of the 5 mg dose is $549 ($137.25 per vial)–in line with the Zepbound savings program for non-covered individuals.
Patients can also purchase ancillary supplies, like syringes and needles, and will have access to important patient-friendly instructional materials on correctly administering the medicine via needle and syringe.
Lilly’s move is also designed as a blow against the proliferation of counterfeit, fake, unsafe or untested knock-offs of Lilly’s medications. In recent months, Lilly has sued numerous clinics and medical spas that advertised Zepbound without authorization.
In some cases, the drugs contained bacteria, high impurity levels, wrong colors or a completely different chemical structure than Lilly’s federally approved medicines. In at least one instance, the product was nothing more than sugar alcohol, Lilly said.
Lilly said its new option will help 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.
“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,” said Patrik Jonsson, president of Lilly Cardiometabolic Health and Lilly USA, in written remarks.
In a clinical study, the 5 mg maintenance dose helped patients achieve an average of 15% weight loss after 72 weeks of treatment. It has been a powerful tool for millions of people with obesity looking to lose weight and keep it off, Lilly said.
Zepbound is approved for adults with obesity, or those who are overweight and also have weight-related medical problems, to lose weight and keep it off. Lilly said Zepbound should be used with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. It should not be used in children under 18 years of age or with other tirzepatide-containing products or any GLP-1 receptor agonist medicines.
Earlier this month, Lilly said Zepbound, which launched in December, crossed into blockbuster territory, with sales of $1.23 billion in the quarter.
Another Lilly drug, diabetes treatment Mounjaro, which contains the same active ingredient as Zepbound and launched just two years ago, had sales of $3.09 billion, making it Lilly’s top-selling product.
Together, they helped push Lilly’s second-quarter revenue up 36%, to $11.3 billion, and profit up 68%, to $2.97 billion.
Lilly shares were up 2%, or $19.15, in early trading, to $969.68 each.
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This is one of the smartest decisions I have ever seen a pharmaceutical company make.