Eli Lilly has reduced the cost of lower doses of its popular weight-loss drug Zepbound – but only for patients who pay for the drug out of pocket.
The drug will now be sold in single-dose vials rather than as a prefilled injection pen, the pharmaceutical company said Tuesday. A four-week supply of the 2.5 mg dose costs $399; a four-week supply of the 5 mg dose costs $549. Without insurance, the list price for a month’s supply of all Zepbound doses was previously more than $1,000.
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“These new vials not only help us meet the high demand for our obesity medicine, but also expand access for patients looking for a safe and effective treatment option,” Patrik Jonsson, president of Lilly Cardiometabolic Health and Lilly USA, said in a statement.
The new prices are comparable to those Lilly offers to the uninsured through its discount program and are half the price of other popular weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy, according to Eli Lilly. The cheaper, low-dose Zepbound vials would also expand availability to people who are not eligible for the savings program and who are not covered by insurance, such as older Americans with Medicare.
Zepbound is the brand name for the drug tirzepatide, which helps people lose weight by mimicking hormones released after a meal.This creates a feeling of satiety in the person taking the drug, which reduces appetite and the amount of food eaten. According to the drug manufacturer, Zepbound should be used as part of a diet that includes more exercise and a reduced-calorie diet.
Zepbound’s recommended maintenance doses for weight loss start with a 5 mg injection once a week, according to Lilly. A 2022 study showed that a 5 mg dose, along with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, resulted in an average weight loss of 15% over 72 weeks, compared with 3.1% with a placebo.
“Although obesity is recognized as a serious chronic disease with long-term consequences, it is often misclassified as a lifestyle issue, leading many employers and the federal government to exclude medications like Zepbound from health insurance,” Jonsson said. “Outdated policies and lack of coverage for obesity medications create an urgent need for more innovative solutions.”
The company has not announced any discounts for the higher doses of 10 mg and 15 mg, the other recommended maintenance doses.
The low-dose Zepbound vials are available by prescription through the company’s self-pay pharmacy, LillyDirect.
Zepbound had been in short supply since April, but was removed from the Food and Drug Administration’s shortage list in early August.
