The Los Angeles Post

Eli Lilly Announces Price Cuts for Diabetes and Obesity Drug

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LAPost (Angust 27, 2024) – Eli Lilly has announced a significant price reduction for two of the lowest doses of its GLP-1 agonist, Zepbound, a medication used to treat diabetes and obesity. The price cuts could result in patients paying less than half of what they previously paid for a month’s supply.

The company revealed that it will offer the 2.5-milligram and 5-milligram doses of Zepbound, which is a form of tirzepatide, in single-dose vials. These vials will be available at a substantially lower cost than the auto-injector version of the drug.

The new pricing is as follows:

  • A month’s supply of the 2.5 mg dose will be priced at $399 ($99.75 per vial).
  • A month’s supply of the 5 mg dose will be priced at $549 ($137.25 per vial).

For comparison, a month’s supply of the 2.5 mg dose in the auto-injector form currently costs over $1,000.

These reduced prices will be accessible exclusively through LillyDirect, the company’s self-pay pharmacy program, which caters to patients who do not have insurance coverage for Zepbound.

According to Eli Lilly, this new vial option is expected to alleviate supply chain issues and expand access to those seeking Zepbound. Patrik Jonsson, executive vice president of Eli Lilly and Co., noted that offering the medication in vials will particularly benefit those whose insurance does not cover the drug.

This pricing adjustment comes nearly two months after President Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, jointly criticized the high cost of medications like Zepbound in an op-ed.

While Senator Sanders acknowledged the price reduction, he expressed continued concern, stating, “Eli Lilly has still refused to lower the outrageous price of Mounjaro that Americans struggling with diabetes desperately need. There is no rational reason, other than greed, why Mounjaro should cost $1,069 a month in the United States but just $485 in the United Kingdom and $94 in Japan.”

Sanders further emphasized, “Even with this modest price reduction for Zepbound, millions of Americans will still be unable to afford the diabetes and weight-loss drugs they desperately need.”