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One of the biggest weight-loss drugs on the market will now be available at half the cost, as its manufacturer hopes to reclaim the market from booming counterfeit sales.
Pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly announced in a press early Tuesday that Zepbound, its brand of the drug tirzepatide designed specifically for weight loss, would be sold in single-dose bottles.
Tirzepatide is part of a class of medications called GLP-1s, which act on a hormone receptor that controls appetite. Research suggests it can lead to even more weight loss than similar GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic (which contain semaglutide) because tirzepatide works on two hunger-related hormones instead of just one. It was FDA-approved for weight loss in November 2023.
Previously, Zepbound was only sold in pre-filled injector pens for a list price of $1,059 per month.
This move could curb shortages, patient advocates say, since vials are cheaper and easier to get hold of than pens.
The new single-dose vials will be available to customers who pay out of pocket and cost $399-$549 for month's supply, depending on dose, though they do require patients to use a needle and syringe.
The move is intended to increase access to the wildly popular medication, according to Lilly's executive vice president Patrik Jonsson.
"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," he said in the press release.
By offering a cheaper alternative, Lilly is pushing back against a massive market of counterfeit weight loss drugs, many of which are illegal and potentially risky.
Versions of tirzepatide and semaglutide are sold online without a prescription through a legal loophole, but can have a serious risk of contamination or overdose, a researcher previously told Business Insider.
Another class of copycat drugs, known as compounded medications, does require a prescription and offers some quality control, but still isn't FDA approved or regulated, so doctors say it can be risky too.
The latest move from Lilly is aimed to recapture consumers looking for cheaper options, and hit counterfeiters with a one-two punch alongside its efforts to crack down on knockoff providers via lawsuits announced earlier this year.
