August 27, 2024 – The manufacturer of the Weight loss drug Zepbound is offering the drug at a reduced price to individuals who wish to purchase it directly from the corporate in vials as a substitute of auto-injector pens.
People must also follow the instructions on Eli Lilly's direct-to-consumer website Lilly DirectHow to submit your prescription to receive the medication by mail at a reduced price. The Zepbound website now offers instructional videos on how one can take the medication using a syringe and needle.
The cost of a 4-week supply of the two.5-milligram starter dose in vials is $399 and the associated fee of a 4-week supply of the 5-milligram vial dose is $549, the corporate said announced Tuesday. Without insurance or discount programs, most pharmacies charge around $1,100 for a 4-week supply of prefilled pens. The announcement described the vials the drug is available in as “single-dose.” The company didn’t say why only the 2 lowest doses were made available.
Zepbound is considered one of the brand new injectable medications for weight reduction and diabetes which are highly effective and have subsequently often been briefly supply. High costs coupled with shortages have led to a rise cheaper composite offers with the identical lively ingredients, a few of which lie in a legal gray area and are being considered potentially unsafe from the FDA. In July, the FDA warned healthcare providers that it had received reports of hospitalizations after people overdosed on compounded weight-loss medications, noting that there was a possible for measurement errors since the compounds were supplied in vials.
In its announcement, Eli Lilly said the move was intended to enhance access to the drugs, particularly for individuals who aren’t eligible for the corporate's discounted “savings card” program or whose insurance doesn’t cover much of the associated fee.
“We are pleased to announce that Zepbound single-dose vials are now available, fulfilling our promise to increase the supply of Zepbound in the U.S.,” said Patrik Jonsson, Executive Vice President of Eli Lilly and Co. and President from Lilly Cardiometabolic Health and Lilly USA said in a press release. “These latest vials not only help us meet the high demand for our obesity medicine, but in addition expand access for patients looking for a secure and effective treatment option. In a clinical trial, the 5 mg maintenance dose helped patients achieve a median of 15% weight reduction after 72 weeks of treatment and was an efficient tool for tens of millions of individuals with obesity who wish to drop extra pounds and maintain their weight. “
Eli Lilly launched its direct-to-consumer website earlier this 12 months. Together with Zepbound, people can order insulin and migraine medication. The website prominently features links to telehealth services that may prescribe the medications.