Eli Lilly cuts cash prices of Zepbound weight loss drug vials on direct-to-consumer site

Eli Lilly connected Monday said it is lowering the currency prices of single-dose vials of its blockbuster value nonaccomplishment cause Zepbound connected its direct-to-consumer platform, LillyDirect, gathering connected efforts by the institution and the Trump administration to marque the medicine much accessible.

The announcement besides comes weeks aft main rival Novo Nordisk unveiled additional discounts connected the currency prices of its obesity and diabetes drugs. 

Starting Monday, cash-paying patients with a valid medicine tin get the starting dose of Zepbound vials for arsenic debased arsenic $299 per period connected LillyDirect, down from a erstwhile terms of $349 per month. They tin besides entree the adjacent dose – 5 milligrams – for $399 per period and each different doses for $449 per month, down from $499 per period crossed those sizes. 

Zepbound carries a database price of astir $1,086 per month. That terms point, and spotty security sum for value nonaccomplishment drugs successful the U.S., person been important barriers to entree for immoderate patients. 

Eli Lilly's announcement comes conscionable weeks aft President Donald Trump inked deals with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to marque their GLP-1 drugs easier for Americans to get and afford. The agreements volition chopped the prices the authorities pays for the drugs, present Medicare sum of obesity drugs for the archetypal clip for definite patients and connection discounted medicines connected the government's caller direct-to-consumer website launching successful January, TrumpRx. 

But Eli Lilly's woody with Trump centers astir lowering the prices of a antithetic signifier of Zepbound – a multi-dose pen – aft it wins Food and Drug Administration approval. 

That means Eli Lilly's Monday announcement astir cutting prices connected the existing single-dose vials could let much patients to get discounted treatments much quickly. 

"We volition support moving to supply much options – expanding choices for transportation devices and creating caller pathways for entree – truthful much radical tin get the medicines they need," said Ilya Yuffa, president of Lilly USA and planetary lawsuit capabilities, successful a statement. 

With single-dose vials, patients request to usage a syringe and needle to gully up the medicine and inject themselves. Eli Lilly archetypal introduced that form of Zepbound successful August 2024. 

It's unclear however galore patients are presently taking single-dose vials of Zepbound. But Eli Lilly antecedently said that direct-to-consumer income present relationship for much than a 3rd of caller prescriptions of Zepbound. 

Novo Nordisk earlier this period lowered the terms of its obesity cause Wegovy and diabetes attraction Ozempic for existing cash-paying patients to $349 per period from $499 per month. That excludes the highest dose of Ozempic. 

The institution besides launched a impermanent introductory offer, which volition let caller cash-paying patients to entree the 2 lowest doses of Wegovy and Ozempic for $199 per period for the archetypal 2 months of treatment.