Aug. 27, 2024 – The maker of the weight loss drug Zepbound is offering the drug at a reduced price for people willing to buy it directly from the company in vials, rather than auto-injector pens.
People also need to follow instructions on Eli Lilly’s direct-to-consumer website, called Lilly Direct, for how to submit their prescription to receive the medicine by mail at the reduced price. The Zepbound website now offers instructional videos on how to take the medicine using a syringe and needle.
The cost of a 4-week supply of the 2.5-milligram starter dose in vials is $399, and the cost of a 4-week supply of the 5-milligram dose in vials is $549, the company announced Tuesday. Without insurance or discount programs, most pharmacies charge around $1,100 for a 4-week supply in prefilled pens. The announcement described the vials the drug comes in as “single-dose.” The company did not say why only the two lowest doses are being made available.
Zepbound is among the new type of injectable weight loss and diabetes drugs that are highly effective and, in turn, have often been in short supply. High cost coupled with scarcity has prompted the rise of cheaper compounded offerings with the same active ingredients, some of which are in a legal gray area and considered potentially unsafe by the FDA. In July, the FDA warned health care providers that it had received reports of hospitalizations after people overdosed on compounded weight loss drugs, noting that there is a potential for measurement errors since the compounds come in vials.
In its announcement, Eli Lilly said the move is intended to increase access to the drugs, particularly for people who don’t qualify for the company’s discounted “savings card” program or whose insurance doesn’t cover much of the 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 of Eli Lilly and Co., 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. In a clinical study, the 5 mg maintenance dose helped patients achieve an average of 15% weight loss after 72 weeks of treatment and has been a powerful tool for millions of people with obesity looking to lose weight and keep it off."
Eli Lilly launched its direct-to-consumer website earlier this year. Along with Zepbound, people can order insulin and migraine medicines. The site prominently features links to telehealth services that may prescribe the medicines.
