Eli Lilly has come up with a new way of supplying its popular weight-loss drug Zepbound that the company hopes could expand access while addressing other issues such as high prices and off-label cosmetic usage.
Single-dose Zepbound vials in 2.5mg and 5mg dosage strengths are now available for self-pay through the company’s online LillyDirect pharmacy at a discount of 50% or more compared to the list price of other GLP-1 medicines for obesity, the company announced.
"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,” president of Lilly Cardiometabolic Health and Lilly USA Patrik Jonsson said in a press release.
A four-week supply of 2.5mg Zepbound in single-dose vials goes for $399 ($99.75 per vial), while the same amount in the 5mg dose is priced at $549 ($137.25 per vial).
For context, the drug originally launched last year at a list price of $1,059, which Lilly said was approximately 20% lower than Novo Nordisk’s competing semaglutide products. Novo’s obesity rival Wegovy currently comes with a $1,349 price tag.
Lilly is taking on parts of the telehealth industry with this announcement. The stock price for Hims & Hers, which allows users to access GLP-1 prescriptions, fell 5% on Tuesday.
The new self-pay component of LillyDirect not only makes for a “transparent price” by removing third-party “supply chain entities” and provides savings outside of insurance, but also allows patients with a valid prescription to “trust they are receiving genuine Lilly medicine” and avoid the counterfeit products permeating the market.
With the supply issues obesity meds across the map have been struggling with, knockoff sellers have had ample opportunity to scheme on unknowing consumers. Both Lilly and Novo have warned patients to the fake copycats and have been cracking down on unlawful sales with several lawsuits. Some of the disputes have ended in settlements like Lilly’s with a South Carolina-based medspa earlier this year or Novo’s two Florida settlements in February.
On LillyDirect, Zepbound will only be available to patients with a legitimate on-label prescription, which must be confirmed through a multi-step verification process. The extra confirmation addresses the common use of the medicines for cosmetic weight loss, which Lilly has “taken a vocal stance against.”
The move was lauded by advocacy group the Obesity Action Coalition, which commends Lilly “for their leadership in offering an innovative solution that brings us closer to making equitable care a reality,” the organization’s chief operating officer James Zervos noted in Lilly’s release. “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."
Outside of the new single-dose vials, Lilly has been busy expanding its supply capacity through manufacturing sites across the globe. Seven of those sites were either “ramping up or under construction” in April, chief financial officer Anat Ashkenazi said on the company’s first-quarter earnings call. Extra supply may prove crucial in the future with a planned label expansion for Zepbound into obstructive sleep apnea.