(Bloomberg) – Eli Lilly & Co. is intensifying the fight against cheaper versions and zepbound imitations, reducing the prices of a successful version of his successful medicine for obesity.
The company is reducing the cost of its 2.5 milligrams and 5 milligrams Zepbound vials to $ 349 and $ 499 per month, respectively, according to a statement. This is about $ 50 less than current prices.
Patients who do not have weight loss insurance for weight loss, including those in Medicare, are using the bottles because they cost about half the table price of the default version for injecting pen. These cheaper options have a disadvantage, however, with users needing to fill a syringe and administer the medicine themselves.
Lilly began offering Zepbound vials last year amid widespread scarcity of weight loss medications, including those made by the new Nordisk A/S rival. Lack of access has led consumers to cheaper and composite versions sold by telesaúde companies such as Hims & Hers Health Inc., which offer medicines through a monthly subscription model.
“We are really excited to announce something based on the contribution of the consumer or patient,” said Patrik Jonsson, Lilly’s cardiometabolic health president in an interview. “We can do more, but this is a very important step, just providing a cheaper input point.”
On Tuesday, Lilly also made available higher dosage bottles of up to 10 milligrams for $ 499 per month, as long as patients recreate the recipe within 45 days. Patients usually start with lower dosages of the drug before increasing. Adding higher doses has the potential to encourage more use.
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Imitations
Hundreds of thousands of Americans have resorted to composite versions of weight loss drugs, which are usually cheaper but do not go through the same rigorous process of approval of brand or generic medicines.
Using public actions and public warnings, Lilly and Novo campaigned to discourage the use of composite versions. Both companies asked the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to prohibit them and said there are safety risks using imitating versions.
“By reducing the price, we hope to be opening the opportunity for more patients to really have access to FDA -approved drugs,” said Jonsson.
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Lilly’s Zepbound and Diabetes Mounjaro drug were taken from the FDA shortage list last year, but the ongoing dispute allowed companies to continue selling copies for now. The regulator also recently said that a shortage of years of Ozepic and Wegovy from Novo is over.
Now that the scarcity of Lilly and the New Drugs is over, Jonsson said he sees “no reason for falsified versions” of weight loss injections in the future.
Patients with prescription can get the vials through the direct platform to Lilly’s consumer, Lillydirect, or through telesaúde partners like RO. About 10% of new Zepbound patients are using self -payment bottles. These are mainly people who have no insurance or whose plans do not cover obesity medications, according to Jonsson.
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Jonsson said Lilly is open to additional partnerships with companies that “want to ensure that patients have access to FDA -approved drugs under the right conditions.”
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