Feb. 25, 2025
Eli Lilly said today that it will offer more doses of its obesity drug Zepbound in vials and lower the prices of the doses it already sells, as the pharma giant seeks to draw patients away from cheap, compounded copies of weight loss medications.
Zepbound was originally sold in injectable pens at a list price of about $1,000 per month, but Lilly last year launched the lowest doses of the medication, 2.5 milligrams and 5 milligrams, in vials at $399 and $549 a month. The company framed the move as a way to increase access, but some experts were skeptical, noting that the price was still prohibitive, as the vials are only available to patients who pay on their own without insurance, and many patients will still go on to need higher doses.
Lilly is lowering the price of the 2.5 mg and 5 mg vials to $349 and $499 per month. It will also start selling the 7.5 mg and 10 mg vials at $599 and $699 per month.
Status of Weight Loss Drugs in Shortage, Compounding Pharmacies
2/21/2025 – The FDA has determined the shortage of semaglutide injection products, a glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) medication, is resolved. Semaglutide injection products have been in shortage since 2022 due to increased demand.
FDA confirmed with the drug’s manufacturer that their stated product availability and manufacturing capacity can meet the present and projected national demand. Patients and prescribers may still see intermittent and limited localized supply disruptions as the products move through the supply chain from the manufacturer and distributors to local pharmacies.
To avoid unnecessary disruption to patient treatment, the agency does not intend to take action against compounders for violations of the FD&C Act arising from conditions that depend on semaglutide injection products’ inclusion on FDA’s drug shortage list:
- For a state-licensed pharmacy or physician compounding under section 503A of the FD&C Act: compounding, distributing or dispensing semaglutide injection products that are essentially a copy of an FDA-approved product within 60 calendar days from today’s announcement, until April 22, 2025.
- For outsourcing facilities under section 503B of the FD&C Act: compounding, distributing or dispensing semaglutide injection products that are essentially a copy of an FDA-approved drug product within 90 calendar days from today’s announcement, until May 22, 2025.