Eli Lilly launches discounted single-dose vials of weight-loss drug Zepbound

Eli Lilly has launched a cheaper version of its weight-loss drug Zepbound. It will now be available in single-dose vials for about half the price.

Instead of using prefilled injection pens, the drug is drawn up using a syringe. This option is available only to people who pay out-of-pocket through LillyDirect, the company's platform that helps coordinate telehealth services and fill prescriptions.

A four-week supply of the 2.5-milligram single-dose vial of Zepbound costs $399 ($99.75 per vial), and a four-week supply of the 5-milligram dose costs $549 ($137.25 per vial).

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Eli Lilly said self-payment enables “transparent pricing by eliminating external supply chain entities and allowing patients to access savings directly outside of insurance.”

“We are pleased to announce that Zepbound single-dose vials are now available, fulfilling our promise to increase supply of Zepbound in the U.S.,” said Patrik Jonsson, executive vice president and president of Lilly Cardiometabolic Health and Lilly USA. “These new vials not only help us meet the high demand for our obesity medicine, but also expand access for patients seeking a safe and effective treatment option.”

Eli Lilly said those taking 5-milligram doses lost an average of 15% weight after 72 weeks, compared with 3.1% in the placebo group.

However, weight loss drugs have potential side effects. Eli Lilly noted that Zepbound can be associated with numerous gastrointestinal side effects, but it says that for some patients, the benefits of this weight loss drug outweigh the risks. Studies showed that those who took the drug in combination with diet and exercise also had improved blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

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Asked how this will affect the rapidly growing market for GLP-1 agonists such as Zepbound, Ozempic and Wegovy, one expert said it could trigger a domino effect with other drugmakers moving to cheaper versions of similar drugs.

“It wouldn't surprise me if in the near future all the manufacturers of the various GLP-1 agonists like Zepbound and Ozempic – because the market is so big and the volume is so high – could lower prices and everyone wins,” Peter Pitts, president of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, told Scripps News.

And that would likely be welcome news, because this move by Eli Lilly comes at a time when drugmakers are facing increasing scrutiny for their high prices on injectable obesity and diabetes drugs. A hearing before a Senate committee is scheduled for next month to discuss the cost of those drugs.

One of the witnesses scheduled to testify at the hearing is Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, the CEO of Novo Nordisk, which makes Ozempic and Wegovy. In an interview with NBC Nightly News on Sunday, he said drugs like his company's save Americans money compared to the other costs of obesity treatment.

“This disease costs Americans over $400 billion annually and we offer products that actually help reduce that cost burden,” he told the broadcaster.