Lilly Lowers Prices of Some Zepbound Doses for Self-Pay Patients

Eli Lilly has lowered the prices of several Zepbound (tirzepatide) doses for patients using the company’s self-pay program. Through a new program, the Zepbound Self Pay Journey Program, self-pay patients with obesity now have additional options to purchase the vial presentations of Zepbound, including 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg and 10 mg doses. The new program provides reductions on prices on some doses of Zepbound vials, but not the autoinjector pens, including

• Lowering the price of the 2.5 mg dose vial to $349 per month.
• Lowering the price of the 5 mg dose vial to $499 per month.
• Launching the Zepbound Self Pay Journey Program, which reduces the price of the 7.5 mg ($599) and 10 mg ($699) doses to $499 per month at first fill and refills that occur within 45 days of prior delivery.

Zepbound is also available in single-dose autoinjector pen at 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg, or 15 mg per 0.5 mL. The recommended maintenance dosages are 5 mg, 10 mg or 15 mg injected subcutaneously once weekly.

“The OAC applauds Lilly for another step forward in improving the affordability of obesity treatment,” Joe Nadglowski, president and CEO of the Obesity Action Coalition, said in a news release. “However, we still have a long way to go in building a healthcare system that provides comprehensive care, coverage and payment of such care for people with obesity that is free of weight bias.”

Zepbound activates receptors of hormones secreted from the intestine — glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) — to reduce appetite and food intake. Approved in November 2023 for obesity, Zepbound reduces appetite, and is indicated for adults with obesity, or some adults who are overweight and also have at least one weight-related medical problem. Zepbound was also approved in December 2024 for obese patients with sleep apnea.

Related: FDA Approves Zepbound for Obese Adults with Sleep Apnea

In 2024, Zepbound, along with the diabetes drugs Mounjaro (tirzepatide) and Trulicity (dulaglutide), accounted for 48% of the Lilly’s revenue in 2024, according to the company’s 10-K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Volume from Zepbound sales alone contributed $4.9 billion in revenue in 2024.

“We had major data readouts for tirzepatide in treating chronic disease associated with obesity, invested billions more in expanding our manufacturing capacity and launched Kisunla and Ebglyss — important drivers of our long-term balanced growth outlook,” David A. Ricks, Lilly's chair and CEO, said in a news release earlier this month. “We enter 2025 with tremendous momentum and look forward to strong financial performance and several important Phase 3 readouts which, if positive, will further accelerate our long-term growth.”

Zepbound Self Pay Journey Program is part of the LillyDirect program, which was launched in August 2024 as a digital health platform for patients and includes access to some Lilly products, as well as third-party providers for content, access to telehealth services and healthcare providers. Lilly

The Zepbound Self Pay Journey Program was established to provide additional benefits to patients who are taking their Zepbound consistent with the FDA approved label — one dose each week, a company spokesperson told Formulary Watch.

The lower patient price of our 2.5 mg and 5 mg doses and the Zepbound Self Pay Journey Program are designed to help patients get started and stay on treatment prescribed by their healthcare provider.

The spokesperson said one component of LillyDirect is LillyDirect’s Self Pay Pharmacy Solutions, which uses licensed, third-party pharmacies to dispense prescribed Zepbound single-dose vials to self-paying patients with an electronic prescription, who meet the label criteria, as determined by a health care provider of their choice.

Patients can use LillyDirect’s Self Pay Pharmacy Solutions regardless of whether they use any other aspect of LillyDirect.