The pharmaceutical giant announced that it has lowered the cost of single-dose vials of the treatment. The price cut comes as demand for weight-loss therapies continues to surge across the country.
Patients with a prescription can now buy the starting dose of 2.5 mg for $299 per month. The new price reflects a significant drop from the previous price of $349. The company has also reduced the price for the 5 mg dose to $399, down from $499.
To get these lower prices, patients must purchase the medication through LillyDirect, the drugmaker's online health care platform.
The company also released a detailed pricing structure for higher doses. According to an investor press release issued by Eli Lilly on Dec. 1, doses of 7.5 mg, 10 mg, and 12.5 mg will now be available for $449 per month. However, the company noted that these specific prices are for patients enrolled in the "Zepbound Self Pay Journey Program."
Without this program, the costs remain much steeper, with regular monthly prices for these higher doses ranging from $599 to as high as $1,049 for the 15 mg dose.
Executives at the company said that the goal is to make healthcare more accessible.
"Far too many people who need obesity treatments still face cost and coverage barriers," said Ilya Yuffa, an executive vice president at Lilly. Yuffa added that the company wants to create "new pathways for access" so more people can get the medicine they need.
This aggressive pricing strategy arrives at a time of massive financial success for the Indianapolis-based company. Eli Lilly became the first drugmaker to reach a $1 trillion market value last month. The company’s stock has climbed more than 39 percent this year, allowing it to join an elite club previously dominated by tech giants.
In November, Lilly struck a deal with the Trump administration to slash prices of its popular drugs for the Medicare and Medicaid programs, as well as for people paying with cash.
While Lilly is cutting prices now, the federal government is preparing for even broader reductions in the future.
Federal health officials announced last week that Medicare will sharply cut prices on some of its most expensive medicines starting in 2027. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) estimated these changes could save taxpayers and seniors billions of dollars.
One of the main targets in this government push is semaglutide, a drug used in competitor Novo Nordisk’s popular medications Wegovy and Ozempic. The new negotiated monthly price for that drug will be $274 starting in 2027.
"President Trump directed us to stop at nothing to lower health care costs for the American people," Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a statement at the time.
Despite the industry's hesitation, experts believe these moves could ripple through the entire health care system, potentially forcing private insurance companies to lower their costs as well.
"All of the other payers can see them," said Sean Sullivan, a professor of pharmacy at the University of Washington. "What is going to stop them from asking manufacturers for that same price?"