Obesity medication Zepbound will be available to buy in 2.5-milligram and 5-milligram single-dose vials on manufacturer Eli Lilly’s telehealth platform, the company has announced.
Self-pay for the vials is available to patients with an on-label prescription using the LillyDirect platform.
The single-dose vials, Eli Lilly said in a release, are 50% cheaper or more compared to competing obesity medications. For a four-week supply, the 2.5-milligram vials cost $399 while the 5-milligram vials cost $549.
“These new vials not only help us meet the high demand for our obesity medicine, but also broaden access for patients seeking a safe and effective treatment option,” Eli Lilly Executive Vice President Patrik Jonsson said in a statement.
The pharmaceutical giant said it is offering self-pay through its LillyDirect telehealth platform to ensure that patients get the genuine article when they get Zepbound, as opposed to other alternatives including compounded forms of tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Zepbound.
“There is no reason why any single U.S. person should be on a non-F.D.A. approved medicine that is not controlled for safety, quality and effectiveness. This is a way of just safeguarding the U.S. population,” Mr. Jonsson told The New York Times.
Tirzepatide injections are currently listed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as being in shortage. During these shortages, other pharmacies are allowed to make compounded versions to address shortfalls with less oversight over their production.
Compounded versions of medicines do not undergo FDA premarket review of their safety, quality or efficacy, per the FDA website.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
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