Eli Lilly announced on Tuesday that it has begun selling higher doses of its popular weight-loss drug, Zepbound, in vials in the U.S. at a $150 discount compared to the injector pen version, aiming to boost demand for the medication.
The company said that patients can now purchase 7.5mg and 10mg vials of Zepbound for $499 per month on the LillyDirect website. This price is almost 23% lower than the $650 charge for the auto-injector version for insured patients who aren’t covered for the drug. Last August, Eli Lilly began selling vials of Zepbound’s two lowest doses, typically available only in auto-injector pens, to expand availability. On Tuesday, the company also announced a price reduction for a month’s supply of the lower doses by around $50 each. The new prices are $349 and $499 per month through LillyDirect.
Patrik Jonsson, Eli Lilly’s president of cardiometabolic health, said that more than 10% of patients starting Zepbound have chosen the vial option since its introduction.
Lilly is working to boost Zepbound’s demand this year to calm investor concerns about declining sales and to compete with Danish rival Novo Nordisk’s successful drug, Wegovy.
Novo Nordisk offers Wegovy at $650 per month for patients without insurance coverage but does not sell it in vials.
Although Lilly’s new $499 price is lower than the standard auto-injector, it is still higher than the $231 to $330 that compounding pharmacies usually charge for versions of Zepbound and Wegovy in the U.S. However, compounders have been ordered to stop selling their copies of the drugs in the coming months. Shortages of both weight-loss drugs pushed patients to cheaper compounded alternatives, which could be sold in bulk while the original drug was on the FDA’s shortage list.
Recently, the FDA removed both Zepbound and Wegovy from the shortage list, leading to lawsuits from compounding pharmacies.
Lilly said that patients need to refill their prescriptions for the higher-dose vials within 45 days of the first fill to maintain the $499 price. Otherwise, the cost could rise to as much as $699 for subsequent refills. Jonsson explained that this policy ensures patients adhere to the FDA-approved dosing schedule.
