By Mackenzie Tatananni

Eli Lilly said Tuesday that it would offer higher doses of its blockbuster weight-loss drug Zepbound for cheaper to customers paying out of pocket.

The pharmaceutical company is selling the new single-dose vials through its direct-to-consumer website, LillyDirect. Through the self-pay program, qualifying patients can purchase 7.5 mg or 10 mg doses for $499 a month, down from $599 and $699, respectively.

The company also trimmed the price of existing 2.5 mg doses and 5 mg doses to $349 and $499 a month, down from $399 and $549 a month, respectively.

Zepbound, the brand name for tirzepatide, was first approved by the Food and Drug Administration in May 2022 for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. It was subsequently approved for a handful of other uses, most recently to treat obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity.

Unlike the single-dose auto injector pens covered by insurance, self-paying patients must draw up the medication from the vials themselves before injecting.

Shares of Eli Lilly were up 1.8% to $897.21 in premarket trading. Peer stocks were also rising, with Johnson & Johnson gaining 0.4%, Merck

Write to Mackenzie Tatananni at mackenzie.tatananni@barrons.com

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February 25, 2025 07:49 ET (12:49 GMT)

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