Eli Lilly Cuts Zepbound Prices by 50% With Single-Dose Vials: What to Know

• Eli Lilly officials announced a new program that provides consumers with single-dose vials of the weight-loss drug Zepbound at a discount price of 50% or more.
• Consumers who pay for these medications out of pocket must purchase Zepbound through the LillyDirect program. They must also have a valid prescription from their healthcare provider.
• Experts praised the new program for its ability to get weight-loss medications to more people in an affordable manner.

The weight-loss drug Zepbound is about to become significantly less expensive for a select group of people who take the medication.

Officials at Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of the drug, have announced plans to sell Zepbound in 2.5 milligram and 5 mg single-vial doses at a discount of 50% or higher compared to the list price of all GLP-1 medications for obesity.

Here’s the pricing details on the new plan:

• A four-week supply of 2.5mg doses will be $399 ($99.75 per vial).
• The cost for a four-week supply of 5mg doses will be $549 ($137.25 per vial).
• The plan does not include the delivery pens typically used for the weekly injections or syringes needed to extract the medication from the vials.

The discount plan is available only to Eli Lilly’s self-pay customers who purchase pharmaceuticals through the company’s LillyDirect program. These customers pay out of pocket for medications rather than going through an insurance company.

Company officials said the cost savings are similar to those offered to people who are uninsured, but they noted the new program will expand the number of customers who can get Zepbound at a lower cost.

“We are excited to share that the Zepbound single-dose vials are now here, further delivering on our promise to increase supply of Zepbound in the U.S.,” Patrik Jonsson, executive vice president and president of Lilly Cardiometabolic Health and Lilly USA, said in a statement.

“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.”

Growing demand for Zepbound, other weight-loss drugs

Company officials said they hope the new plan will help ease shortages of Zepbound supplies and other GLP-1 weight-loss drugs.

Mir Ali, MD, a bariatric surgeon and medical director of MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in California, agreed that the new program should be helpful since there is still more demand than supply for weight-loss medications.

“Making the medication more affordable will increase the number of people who can access it,” Ali told Healthline.

Other experts also praised the program as a way to help meet the demand for weight-loss drugs.

“People living with obesity have long been denied access to the essential treatment and care needed to manage this serious chronic disease,” said James Zervios, the chief operating officer of the Obesity Action Coalition, in a statement.

“Expanding coverage and affordability of treatments is vital to people living with obesity. We commend Lilly for their leadership in 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,” Zervios continued.

Caroline Apovian, MD, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and the co-director of the Center for Weight Management and Wellness at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Massachusetts, told Healthline that although the new Eli Lilly Zepbound plan isn’t optimal, it still should make the weight- loss drug more affordable and more accessible.

“I hope other companies will try to lower the price of self-pay drugs for our new obesity medications as well as for type 2 diabetes,” Apovian said.

Zepbound prescription required for discount

Consumers who utilize Eli Lilly’s savings plan must have a valid, on-label prescription for Zepbound from their healthcare provider.

Company officials said this requirement is necessary to ensure that customers are not using the medication for cosmetic weight loss.

They added they hope the easier access to Zepbound will discourage people from using untested, knock-off drugs to treat obesity.

Ali urged companies to stay vigilant about consumers using alternative medications or using the drugs for purposes other than treating obesity and other serious weight management issues.

“The medication still requires a prescription from a legitimate provider. That being said, there will always be people seeking this medication for inappropriate use,” he said.

Novo Nordisk on making medications more affordable

Officials at Novo Nordisk, the manufacturers of the weight loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, told Healthline that the key to making these medications more affordable is by expanding consumer coverage through insurance companies and government programs.

“The most effective way for the millions of Americans living with obesity to access affordable medication is by ensuring coverage through government and commercial insurance plans,” a Novo Nordisk spokesperson told Healthline.

“We will not stop advocating for insurance coverage until all Americans have full coverage for obesity medicines and that becomes the standard, not the exception.”

“Novo Nordisk supports additional legitimate options as it creates more safe supply for Americans living with obesity and is a testament to the significant unmet need of addressing obesity as a serious, chronic disease,” the spokesperson added.

What to know about GLP-1 drugs

Zepbound and Mounjaro contain the active ingredient tirzepatide, a glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) receptor and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. Both are manufactured by Eli Lilly.

Zepbound is approved for use as a weight-loss medication. Mounjaro is approved as a treatment for type 2 diabetes.

Novo Nordisk has two injectable weight-loss medications, both of which include the active ingredient semaglutide, a GLP-1 drug. Ozempic is prescribed to treat type 2 diabetes while Wegovy is used as a weight-loss medication.

Novo Nordisk also manufactures Rybelsus, a daily pill that contains semaglutide that is used to treat type 2 diabetes in adults.

All these medications have performed well in clinical trials.

Last week, researchers reported that in a clinical trial Zepbound and Mounjaro were effective in helping people with obesity or weight management issues maintain weight loss over a 3-year period as well as significantly reducing their chances of progressing from prediabetes to type 2 diabetes.

In May 2023, researchers reported that Wegovy helped reduce obesity in half of teens in a 68-week clinical trial.

In addition, Ozempic has been shown to lower the risk of death from kidney disease as well as reduce the risk of certain cancers.

Some research has indicated that medications containing trizepatide might be more effective for weight loss than those containing semaglutide.

Takeaway

Eli Lilly announced that single-dose vials of the weight-loss drug Zepbound will be sold at a discount price of 50% or more.

Consumers who pay for medications out of pocket without insurance must purchase these products through the LillyDirect program and must also have a valid prescription from their healthcare provider.

Experts say the new program is a step forward for making weight loss drugs more accessible and affordable.