Eli Lilly cutting prices for obesity, diabetes drug
Eli Lilly announced Tuesday it will be cutting the prices of two of the lowest doses of its GLP-1 agonist Zepbound, an antidiabetic and antiobesity medication, allowing for patients to potentially pay less than half of what they originally paid for a month’s supply.
Lilly said it would be selling its 2.5-milligram and 5-milligram formulations of Zepbound, a form of tirzepatide, in single-dose vials. This form of the product will be sold for a significantly cheaper price than the auto-injector version.
A month’s supply of the 2.5 mg dosage will cost $399 ($99.75 per vial).
A month’s supply of the 5 mg dose will cost $549 ($137.25 per vial).
By comparison, a month’s supply of 2.5 mg dosed Zepbound in autoinjector form costs a little over $1,000
These discounted prices will only be available through the company’s self-pay pharmacy component, LillyDirect, meant for patients who aren’t using insurance to cover the cost of Zepbound.
Eli Lilly said this new product will help with supply chain issues and increase access for those looking to take Zepbound. Patrik Jonsson, executive vice president of Eli Lilly and Co., said that releasing the drug as vials will help those whose insurance does not cover Zepbound.
This announcement comes nearly two months after President Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, co-authored an op-ed criticizing the high cost of drugs like Zepbound.
Sanders welcomed the news Tuesday but still found issue with the company’s move.
“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 said in a statement.
“And let’s be clear: 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.”
Welcome to The Hill’s Health Care newsletter, we’re Joseph Choi and Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health.
Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.
Essential Reads
How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond:
Colorado rep shares treatment for depression to ‘de-stigmatize mental illness’
Rep. Yadira Caraveo (D-Colo.) opened up Monday about her experience with depression, revealing she is seeking treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and wants to “de-stigmatize mental illness.”
Full Story
Court clears way for Florida to enforce ban on gender-affirming care for minors
Transgender minors in Florida cannot be prescribed puberty blockers or other hormonal treatments, even if their parents approve, while the state hashes out legal concerns over its gender-affirming care ban, a federal court ruled this week. A federal appeals court this week removed a temporary hold on the enforcement of restrictions the state adopted last year in a wave of more than two dozen states that have sought to curb …
Full Story
NH resident dies after testing positive for mosquito-borne virus
New Hampshire authorities on Tuesday confirmed an adult resident has died after contracting a rare mosquito-borne illness with a high mortality rate. The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services said in a statement that an adult resident died after testing positive for eastern equine encephalitis virus (EEEV). According to the agency, the unnamed resident “was hospitalized due to severe central nervous system …
Full Story
In Other News
Branch out with a different read:
Appeals court spikes Tennessee’s bid to get family planning dollars despite abortion rule
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A federal appeals court has shot down Tennessee’s attempt to collect millions of dollars in family planning funds without complying with federal rules requiring clinics to provide abortion referrals due to its current ban on the procedure. Last year, Tennessee’s Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti filed …
Full Story
Around the Nation
Local and state headlines on health care:
Massachusetts down enacts evening curfew over deadly mosquito virus (Gizmodo)
California lawmakers say Newsom staff ‘inflated’ cost of failed health care bills (CalMatters)
Group of Florida doctors says leading Medicaid operator slow to pay (Politico)
What We’re Reading
Health news we’ve flagged from other outlets:
Doctors saved her life. She didn’t want them to (The New York Times)
Insurers can restrict mental health care. What laws protect patients in your state? (NPR)
New mpox strain is changing fast; African scientists are ‘working blind’ to respond (Reuters)
What Others are Reading
Most read stories on The Hill right now:
Texas GOP doubles down on fraud claims as Trump, Cruz leads shrink
AUSTIN – Texas Republicans are doubling down on claims that Democrats in the state’s biggest cities are attempting to steal the 2024 election … Read more
Texas removes 1 million people from voter rolls
Texas has removed over a million people from its voter registration rolls since the last presidential election, with half of them deceased, nonresidents … Read more
You’re all caught up. See you tomorrow!
Close
Thank you for signing up!
Subscribe to more newsletters here
The latest in politics and policy.
Direct to your inbox.
Sign up for the Health Care newsletter
if ( window.checkSizeClasses && window.checkSizeClasses instanceof Function) {
window.checkSizeClasses();
}
Minnie Hanson is a news writer at Simplym Press, where she covers politics, health, business, parenting, and finance. She also has a passion for writing about sports and the arts.
Minnie has lived in New York her whole life and graduated from New York University with a degree in journalism. She loves to read, watch movies, and listen to music when she's not working—but she doesn't have a lot of time for hobbies these days.
