Eli Lilly has reduced the price of 2.5 and 5 milligram Zepbound vials, along with introducing 7.5 and 10 milligram vials at a discounted price. Photo by Eli Lilly and Company.

News Release

INDIANAPOLIS — To fight cheaper alternative versions of its weight loss drug, Eli Lilly & Co. have lowered prices of Zepbound vials.

Costs for its 2.5 and 5 milligram Zepbound vials are being reduced by about $50, now costing $349 and $499, respectively.

For patients without weight-loss drug insurance coverage, such as those on Medicare, vials are about half as expensive as injector pens. Unlike medicine injectors, vials require a separate needle to draw and inject the medication.

Zepbound vials began being offered in 2024 after Lilly and its rival Novo Nordisk A/S ran into supply shortages, which led consumers to cheaper, compounded weight loss drugs. These drugs, offered by telehealth companies such as Hims & Hers Health Inc., use a monthly subscription model.

Lilly also made higher-dose vials an option for consumers, up to 10 milligrams for as low as $499 a month — so long as the medication is refilled within 45 days. Because users usually start on smaller doses before moving up, larger doses may encourage more usage.

While many have turned to compounded weight-loss drugs, these often cheaper alternatives don’t have the same thorough approval process as the generic or brand-name versions.

Lilly and Novo have discouraged compounded weight-loss medications through public notices, lawsuits and requests for the Food and Drug Administration to ban them. The companies say the copycat products have safety risks.

While continuing litigation allows companies to continue selling copies, Lilly’s Zepbound and diabetes drug Mounjaro have been taken off the FDA’s shortage list, in addition to Novo’s Wegovy and Ozempic.

Hims announced Monday, Feb. 24 it will phase out some versions of its Novo alternatives. While the company’s projected revenue for the year was more than expected, shares dropped 22% the following day while Novo’s rose 5.6%.

For patients with prescriptions, vials are available through direct-to-consumer platform LillyDirect, or telehealth platforms such as Ro. The roughly 10% of patients who utilize the self pay option are mostly not insured or don’t have plans covering obesity drugs.