Eli Lilly Cuts Price of Weight Loss, Diabetes Drug Zepbound

An Eli Lilly and Company pharmaceutical manufacturing plant at 50 ImClone Drive in Branchburg, N. J., on March 5, 2021. Mike Segar/Reuters

Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly announced on Aug. 27 that it is selling its weight loss and diabetes drug Zepbound in single-dose vials at around half the cost of some of its original doses.

In a press release, Eli Lilly said the move is part of ongoing efforts to significantly boost drug supply amid heightened demand.

The company said the single-dose vials will contain 2.5-milligram and 5-milligram formulations of Zepbound, a form of tirzepatide, and patients will need to inject themselves.

They will be available only for self-pay for patients with an on-label prescription.

Under the new pricing plan, a one-month supply of the 2.5 mg Zepbound single-dose vial will cost $399, or $99.75 per vial, while a four-week supply of the 5 mg dose is $549, or $137.25 per vial, the Indianapolis-headquartered firm said.

Prior to the announcement, a month’s supply of 2.5 mg dosed Zepbound in auto-injector pen form had cost a little over $1,000 for Americans without insurance coverage for weight loss.

The company said the new prices are less than half the list prices of Eli Lilly’s other weight-loss drug rivals.

Eli Lilly said the new discounted vials 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.”

The lower-cost doses will be offered only through Lilly’s telehealth platform, LillyDirect—unveiled in January—and will not be covered by insurance, meaning patients will need to pay for them out of pocket.

“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,” Patrik Jonsson, executive vice president, and president of Lilly Cardiometabolic Health and Lilly USA, said.

Zepbound works by stimulating receptors of two gut hormones secreted from the intestine: the GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) and GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) to reduce appetite and food intake, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

In a clinical study, Eli Lilly said that the 5 mg maintenance dose of Zepbound helped patients achieve an average of 15 percent weight loss after 72 weeks of treatment.

Obesity Rates Rise, Drug Costs Soar

The announcement comes as Eli Lilly and other weight loss and obesity drug manufacturers—including its rival Novo Nordisk, maker of Ozempic and Wegovy—have been under pressure to lower the cost of their medications as obesity rates in the United States climb.

More than 100 million American adults have obesity, and more than 22 million adults have severe obesity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Despite obesity being recognized as a serious chronic illness with long-term consequences, it’s often misclassified as a lifestyle choice, resulting in many employers and the federal government excluding medications like Zepbound from insurance coverage,” said Jonsson.

“Outdated policies and lack of coverage for obesity medications create an urgent need for more innovative solutions,” he said.

“Bringing Zepbound single-dose vials to patients will help more people living with obesity manage this chronic condition. We will also continue to advocate for a system that better aligns with the science.”

Reuters contributed to this report.