Weight Loss Drug Zepbound Gets a Major Price Cut - if You Change How You Inject It

Key Takeaways

• The weight loss drug Zepbound (tirzepatide) will now be available directly from Eli Lilly in vials starting at $399 for a month's supply.
• This is an alternative to buying Zepbound in prefilled pens, which cost $550 or more.
• People will still need a prescription to get the drug from LillyDirect.

For people paying out of pocket, the GLP-1 weight loss medication Zepbound (tirzepatide) just got more affordable now that the manufacturer has begun selling it in vials along with syringes and needles.

Previously, the drug was available only in prefilled single-dose pens, which allows user to inject the medication under the skin with the click of a button.

Starter dose vials of Zepbound (tirzepatide) are now available through the LillyDirect platform for $399 for a month's supply. That's significantly less than the same amount of medication in a pen, which costs $550.

This new option will help adults with obesity who don't have insurance coverage and are paying for the medication out of pocket. It will also help those who are not eligible for the Zepbound savings card program, according to a company statement.

"Overall, this is good - any lower price is fantastic for access, but it's just one step in the right direction," says Dan Azagury, MD , a bariatric surgeon at Stanford Medicine in Palo Alto, California.

He adds that because the vials are much easier to produce than the pens, shortages will be less of an issue.

The move may also trigger a bit more competition between manufacturers and potentially lower the prices for other GLP-1 drugs, he says.

Other injectable weight loss medications such as Wegovy (semaglutide) and Saxenda (liraglutide) cost about $1,000 or more per month for the lowest dose without insurance coverage.

Lack of Insurance Coverage Leaves Many People Unable to Afford Weight Loss Drugs

For many people, cost has been a significant barrier to getting GLP-1 drugs. Even with a diagnosis of obesity and a prescription, most insurance plans don't cover these medications.

For example, Wegovy is covered by just 1 percent of Affordable Care Act Marketplace plans, according to an analysis by KFF, an independent health policy and research firm.

"Despite obesity being recognized as a serious chronic illness with long-term consequences, [weight loss drugs are] often misclassified as a lifestyle choice, resulting in many employers and the federal government excluding medications like Zepbound from insurance coverage," said Patrik Jonsson, the executive vice president of Eli Lilly and Company and the president of Lilly Cardiometabolic Health, in a statement.

Drug Still May Be Unaffordable for Many People

"Although the price drop is significant, this medication is still expensive and more than some patients can afford," says Azagury.

He also points out that people taking Zepbound often need to increase their dosage over time. "So what happens when they need to be on a higher dose? This is an issue - you get patients into the door, but then don't give them access to the full therapeutic effect of the drug," says Azagury.

William Yancy Jr., MD , an internal medicine doctor and weight management specialist at Duke Health in Durham, North Carolina, agrees that it's not uncommon for people to need higher doses to achieve their weight loss goals.

"It's not clear what would be the next steps other than paying the full price. And in that case, you have a patient who started with a medicine but has to stop it if they can't afford it at the higher doses. I don't see how this is a good strategy for the patient," he says.

New Move Aims to Eliminate Need for Compounded Drugs

Because of cost concerns and drug shortages, many people have turned to compounded versions of Zepbound and other GLP-1 medications from telehealth companies or compounding pharmacies. Producers of compounded drugs claim to use the same active ingredient as GLP-1s, but at a fraction of the cost. For example, compounded semaglutide can be found at a starting price of $175 for a month's supply.

Last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning about compounded semaglutide. The agency has received reports of problematic events - some requiring hospitalization - due to dosing errors related to units of measurement, varying product concentrations, and use of multiple-dose vials.

Compounded drugs pose a higher risk to patients than FDA-approved drugs because they do not undergo premarket review for safety, quality or effectiveness, and "should only be used for patients whose medical needs cannot be met by an available FDA-approved drug," according to the FDA statement.

The Obesity Society, Obesity Action Coalition, and Obesity Medicine Association issued a joint statement recommending that patients not use available compounded alternatives to GLP-1 medications.

How to Get the Zepbound Vials

Anyone interested in purchasing the new Zepbound vials will need to obtain a valid prescription from their healthcare provider or through telehealth providers featured on the LillyDirect platform.

Importantly, LillyDirect will only accept self-pay for these vials; insurance coverage is not applicable.

Once a prescription has been verified, the vials will be delivered to the person's doorstep. LillyDirect also sells syringes and needles which are needed to draw up the medicine from these vials. Instructions are available on the LillyDirect website.

Zepbound continues to be available in 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg, or 15 mg doses in a single-dose pen (autoinjector). The recommended maintenance dosages are 5 mg, 10 mg, or 15 mg injected under the skin once weekly.

Editorial Sources and Fact-Checking

Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our editorial policy . We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions.

Sources

1. Lilly Releases Zepbound (Tirzepatide) Single-Dose Vials, Expanding Supply and Access for Adults Living With Obesity. Lilly . August 27, 2024.
2. Costly GLP-1 Drugs Are Rarely Covered for Weight Loss by Marketplace Plans. KFF . June 12, 2024.
3. FDA Alerts Health Care Providers and Patients of Dosing Errors Associated With Compounded Injectable Semaglutide Products. U.S. Food and Drug Administration . July 26, 2024.
4. Obesity Care Organizations Issue Joint Statement: Do Not Use Compounded Alternatives to GLP-1 Medications. Obesity Action Coalition . January 9, 2024.

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Becky Upham

Author

Becky Upham has been professionally involved in health and wellness for almost 20 years. She's been a race director, a recruiter for Team in Training for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, a salesperson for a major pharmaceutical company, a blogger for Moogfest, a communications manager for Mission Health, a fitness instructor, and a health coach.

She majored in English at the University of North Carolina and has a master's in English writing from Hollins University.

Upham enjoys teaching cycling classes, running, reading fiction, and making playlists.

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