The FDA in November said it awarded a priority review voucher to that pill, which could expedite its review timeline to a few months. Bolno said the company is developing the injection, called WVE-007, as a monotherapy or a potential maintenance treatment that patients can switch to and take far less frequently after being on GLP-1s. That's how tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Lilly's blockbuster obesity and diabetes injections, works. "There is so much aligned exactly with this market expansion story … because there is a huge number of patients that are simply not interested in losing weight at the cost of injecting themselves," Doustdar said. The initial results add to the long list of potential health benefits of weight loss and diabetes treatments, which have skyrocketed in demand over the last year despite their high prices and spotty insurance coverage. Like other weight loss drugs, Zepbound is an injection patients give themselves once a week. The Food and Drug Administration approved a request by Eli Lilly on Wednesday to begin marketing its tirzepatide medication, which is branded as Mounjaro for diabetes, under a new brand for weight loss as well. GLP-1 drugs represent a major advance in weight loss treatment, so the excitement around them isn't misplaced. Schott said that number is closer to the dropout rates seen in trials on Eli Lilly's weight loss drug Zepbound and Novo Nordisk's obesity injection Wegovy. One concern with current weight loss drugs is that they can lead to the loss of lean muscle mass. When evaluating only patients who stayed on the drug, the highest dose delivered 28.7% weight loss on average. Eli Lilly on Thursday said its next-generation obesity drug delivered what appears to be the highest weight loss yet in a late-stage trial while reducing knee arthritis pain, clearing the first of several upcoming studies on the weekly injection. The company shares market leadership with Novo Nordisk, the maker of similar drugs, Wegovy and Ozempic, and demand has been so high that it surpassed the supply of all of these products a few years ago. Ro's commitment to innovation includes its earlier launch of the Ro Body weight loss program, which provides GLP-1 access alongside personalized care plans, diagnostic testing, and coaching.The highest dose of the drug helped patients with obesity and a type of knee arthritis lose an average of 23.7% of their body weight at 68 weeks, when analyzing all participants, including those who discontinued treatment.While not listed as a side-effect of Zepbound, patients taking weight-loss drugs have said they experienced stomach paralysis, which occurs when ones stomach takes too long to empty food.As mentioned, Lilly has generated blockbuster revenue thanks to its weight loss portfolio.Your healthcare provider is the best person to help you decide if Zepbound is right for you.Starting in mid-November, cash-paying patients with a prescription can purchase single-dose vials of Zepbound at discounts of 50% or more off their list price through the retailer's locations or via home delivery."Our goal really is just to meet as many people where they are and give more choice, more convenience and continue to offer people price transparency," she continued. Clinical trial data found that people using 5-mg injections of tirzepatide lost about 15% of their weight after more than a year of treatment, on average. Semgalutide, known as Ozempic for diabetes and Wegovy for weight loss, is also part of this broad class of drugs. Novo is testing a combination of cagrilintide and semaglutide -- the latter of which is known under the brand name Wegovy -- that produced about a 22% weight loss in people with obesity but not diabetesin a previously published, late-stage clinical trial. But as of Tuesday, the lowest cost of the drug for new patients who join that program will increase to $650 per month, according to an update on the company's website. Zepbound contains tirzepatide and it’s an injectable medication that’s designed to be taken once a week to help with weight loss in adults who have obesity or overweight. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just approved the injectable drug Zepbound (tirzepatide) for adults who have obesity or overweight. Yes, the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 prohibits Part D plans from covering anti-obesity medications as part of the standard prescription drug benefit. The long lead time for Part D participation allows plans to include GLP-1s in their drug coverage lists, update their computer systems and fine-tune their marketing before next year’s open enrollment Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. The FDA approved the first GLP-1 pill for weight loss earlier this week, and the oral form of Wegovy is expected in pharmacies in early January 2026. These figures underscore the growing demand for GLP-1 receptor agonists in managing diabetes and obesity. That means compounders will still be able to make copies of its drugs. But he said combination regimens can also help treat certain obesity-related conditions better than one product alone. He said the company is already working on manufacturing the two ingredients together in a single pill, which is similar to what Novo's amycretin achieves. "They say, 'I've lost the weight, I've got this, so I can maintain this on my own with something less strong,'" Skovronsky said. Lilly's Skovronsky said pills will also serve as a way for patients to "deescalate their therapy" after taking injections. In an interview at the conference, Doustdar said it could also include people who travel frequently and can't easily refrigerate injections. By the late 1870s, annual sales had reached tens of thousands of dollars, and by the 1880s, the company had grown to over 100 employees, becoming one of Indiana's most prominent businesses. The story of what we now know as the world's largest pharmaceutical company began in the second half of the 19th century with a former Colonel in the Union Army in the American Civil War. With over 150 years of operation, the company stands at the absolute center of the global pharmaceutical industry. That appears to have more potent effects on a person's appetite and satisfaction with food than other treatments. Eli Lilly expects to report findings from seven additional phase three trials on the drug by the end of 2026. The 28.7% average weight loss (32.3 kg or 71.2 pounds) was for the 12 mg dose, the higher of the two doses evaluated in the study. The results reported Thursday come from a 68-week Phase 3 test of two dose levels of retatrutide in adults with obesity or overweight. But the preliminary Phase 3 results also show high rates of patients discontinuing treatment, which will be something to watch in the coming year for this weekly injectable medication, retatrutide. The study results should help fuel Zepbound’s accelerating market-share gains, Leerink Partners analyst David Risinger said in a research note. The companies say that raises questions about what some manufacturers are selling and marketing to consumers. The agency has yet to announce whether it is removing semaglutide from its shortage list — a decision that would likely affect even more compounding pharmacies since it is more widely used than tirzepatide. Whether it’s maximizing benefits or making healthier shopping choices, we’re using digital innovation to support customers' health journeys. “We are known for building great relationships with our patients, and our teams look forward to doing more of that through making this pickup option available from our trusted pharmacists and pharmacy technicians.” “Life is busy, and this will help people discover new, easy ways to get their medication,” said Kevin Host, Senior Vice President of Pharmacy at Walmart. Walmart’s team of over 50,000 trusted pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, and extensive pharmacy footprint, paired with LillyDirect’s online convenience, offers patients flexibility in how they access their medications and pharmacy support services. By combining LillyDirect’s innovative, patient-centered platform with Walmart’s nationwide pharmacy footprint, we’re expanding options for patients facing access challenges, making it easier to start and stay on authentic Lilly medicine.” The data used in our company analysis is from S&P Global Market Intelligence LLC.Eli Lilly has also raised concerns about the potential risks that compounded versions of its drugs pose to patients.“For decades, diet and exercise have been a go-to, but it’s not uncommon for a person to have tried times to lose weight with this approach.The drug should be used along with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity.The new vials will be available exclusively to people who pay out of pocket through LillyDirect, a company platform that helps coordinate telehealth services and fill prescriptions for patients.For those whose plans don’t cover Zepbound, the savings card would lower the cost to $550 per month, or about half the list price. The industry has made strides toward improving drug access for patients, and executives expect that will continue. Lilly will read out data on seven other Phase 3 trials on the drug this year. Wave is taking a different approach to weight loss, targeting how the body burns fat rather than suppressing appetite. But Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla said the company is also developing an in-house oral drug that blocks the GIP receptor, which can significantly reduce side effects when combined with GLP-1. After switching to orforglipron, their average weight increased by 5 kg. After over a year of taking Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy, their average weight dropped to 95 kg. Lilly says the care providers available through LillyDirect will use their own judgement in deciding treatment, and that may not include medication use. And that's not counting the other nine obesity drugs Lilly's testing in clinical trials. "As we expand access to obesity treatments for more Americans and advance one of the most innovative obesity pipelines, we remain focused on improving outcomes, strengthening the U.S. health care system, and contributing to the health of our nation for generations to come." Currently, federal insurance programs cover Novo Nordisk's Wegovy -- one of the GLP-1s for people who are overweight and have heart disease -- but there is no medication for obesity alone covered by Medicare. Medicare patients will have a $50 co-pay for the drugs and could see the new pricing as soon as mid-2026. President Donald Trump on Thursday struck landmark deals with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to slash the prices of their blockbuster weight loss drugs. Another recent study found that people using tirzepatide injections lost more weight and were more likely to reach specific weight loss targets than those on semaglutide. The new vials will be available exclusively to people who pay out of pocket through LillyDirect, a company platform that helps coordinate telehealth services and fill prescriptions for patients. In studies, the FDA said patients using Zepbound had an average weight loss of 23% or about 52 pounds. In its announcement, the federal agency approved the injectable medicine for use in chronic weight management in adults with obesity who have at least one weight-related condition such as high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol. The Food and Drug Administration has approved Zepbound, a new weight loss drug from Eli Lilly. Trump announced that his administration has reached agreements with drugmakers Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk that would lower the price of some GLP-1 weight loss medications. Earlier this year, the Danish pharmaceutical company paid United Biotechnology $200 million up front for rights to this injectable drug, which at the time had completed Phase 1b testing in China. “To conclude, we view retatrutide as offering additional benefits for patients and raising the bar for future tirzepatide competitors,” he said. By comparison, the Phase 3 test of Zepbound showed 22% absolute weight loss for the 15 mg dose measured at 68 weeks. Leerink Partners analyst David Risinger said in a research note that the retatrutide results are in line with the firm’s expectations of weight loss in the mid-to-high 20% range. Eli Lilly's evolution from a small Midwestern drugmaker to the world's most valuable pharmaceutical company is rooted in some of the most significant milestones in modern healthcare. Since then, demand for GLP-1 therapies has surged well beyond diabetic patients, with millions seeking new options for medical weight loss. GLP-1 receptor agonists and related therapies have redefined treatment for these conditions, offering both improved blood sugar control and significant weight loss. Novo Nordisk's newly acquired drug is a clear potential competitor to retatrutide because it similarly uses a three-pronged approach to promoting weight loss and regulating blood sugar. The company said it was generally mild for patients and rarely led to them discontinuing treatment. Lilly sues online vendors, medical spa over copycat weight-loss drugs He said adding Wave's injection on top of a GLP-1 won't make it more difficult for patients to tolerate the treatment regimen, so it makes the company's drug "very amenable to combination" options. But Stevens said the treatment patients take will segment according to the other health conditions a person has on top of obesity, such as fatty liver disease, chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease. Novo Nordisk earlier this year submitted an application for the use of its weight loss drug Wegovy in treating patients with HFpEF. The company also launched a temporary introductory offer, which will allow new cash-paying patients to access the two lowest doses of Wegovy and Ozempic for $199 per month for the first two months of treatment. The agreements will cut the prices the government pays for the drugs, introduce Medicare coverage of obesity drugs for the first time for certain patients and offer discounted medicines on the government's new direct-to-consumer website launching in January, TrumpRx. Lilly is a medicine company turning science into healing to make life better for people around the world. Investors were lukewarm on the trial’s results, with shares gaining 0.5% in morning trading, because it will be years until the drug is launched in an already crowded market. The company said treatment for longer is likely to yield better results. The company said on Tuesday that the phase 2 efficacy rate — adjusted for the placebo effect — reflects 48 weeks of treatment and is based on participants who fully followed the treatment regimen. "We believe that the U.S. population is actually a target for … untested, unapproved, unregulated anti-obesity medications that we know is far from always containing the drug it's supposed to," he said. The Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding (APC), a trade group representing compounding pharmacists, called Eli Lilly's move "great news for patients." Disease resolution for OSA is defined as a patient having fewer than five AHI events per hour, the company said. That compares with 14.9% and 13.6% of patients who took a placebo in the two trials, respectively. Data show combination treatment was more effective than older therapy alone The agreement allows the GLP-1s to be covered by Medicaid to treat obesity, while it would require Medicare to cover the drugs for obese Americans who are also at high risk for other health problems."They've often cost consumers more than $1,000 per month and some a lot more than that. Americans have been spending as much as 520% for Zepbound and 1,400% more for Wegovy than patients in Europe."By combining LillyDirect’s innovative, patient-centered platform with Walmart’s nationwide pharmacy footprint, we’re expanding options for patients facing access challenges, making it easier to start and stay on authentic Lilly medicine.”The result, made public in a press release Wednesday, will not come as a surprise to scientists or physicians who have closely followed the rise of the blockbuster obesity medicines.The data also paves the way for Eli Lilly to gain broader insurance coverage for Zepbound, which, like other weight loss drugs, is not covered by many insurance plans.All doses of Zepbound are now listed as available on the FDA's drug shortage database.Eli Lilly's weight loss drug Zepbound showed benefits in patients with a common type of heart failure and obesity, according to late-stage trial data the company released Thursday. "In light of increasing rates of both obesity and overweight in the United States, today's approval addresses an unmet medical need," the FDA's Dr. John Sharretts, director of the agency's Division of Diabetes, Lipid Disorders, and Obesity, said in a news release. The FDA's approval of Zepbound was partially based on a trial of adults without diabetes, which found that participants — who averaged 231 pounds at the start of the trial — who were given the highest approved dose lost around 18% of their body weight compared to placebo. Zepbound will be available for patients in the U.S. by the end of the year, the drugmaker said. Roche claims obesity drug caused 22.5% weight loss as it aims to catch up with Lilly, Novo In a note in August, Goldman Sachs analysts forecast that pills will capture a 24% share — or around $22 billion — of the 2030 global weight loss drug market, which they expect to be worth $95 billion in total. He said the trial showed that the pill "helped people maintain the weight they worked hard to lose" and that, if approved, it could "provide a convenient alternative for the millions of individuals living with obesity around the globe to continue their long-term health journey." The oral drug met the trial's main goal of demonstrating superior weight loss maintenance compared with a placebo, among people who previously experienced a plateau in their progress while taking the injections. While Eli Lilly's pill appears to cause less weight loss overall than existing injections, Thursday's results highlight its potential role as a needle-free maintenance treatment in the blockbuster GLP-1 market. Those participants were randomly assigned to receive one of three doses of the study drug or a placebo. Nonclinical research suggests activating GIP may further help patients manage how much they eat. The main active ingredient in both Mounjaro and Zepbound is tirzepatide, a peptide designed to bind to the GLP-1 receptor. The Indianapolis-based drugmaker expects Zepbound will become available in the U.S. by the end of this year. Understand how science, health policy, and medicine shape the world every day When a brand-name medication is in shortage, compounding pharmacies can prepare copies of the drug if they meet certain requirements under federal law. Following the suit, the FDA said it would reevaluate removing tirzepatide from the shortages list. It also contended that the FDA's action was a coup for Eli Lilly that came at the expense of patients. Eli Lilly on Wednesday said its highly popular weight loss drug Zepbound showed the potential to treat patients with the most common sleep-related breathing disorder in two late-stage clinical trials. The 445 study participants did not have diabetes but they did have knee osteoarthritis; along with measuring the drug’s effect on weight loss, assessing pain and joint movement is a co-primary endpoint of the study. An Eli Lilly drug candidate designed to hit three metabolic targets led patients to lose an average of 28.7% of their body weight in a late-stage clinical trial, setting a new high mark in the competitive chase to develop next-generation obesity medications. Amid skyrocketing demand for weight loss drugs, many of the therapies have faced supply shortages. Like with other weight loss drugs in this class, some of Zepbound's side effects could be serious. The Eli Lilly deal will see the company launch a "real-world" study to understand how tirzepatide — the GLP-1 treatment behind its Zepbound and Mounjaro drugs — impacts weight loss, diabetes prevention, and prevention of obesity-related complications, to better inform the National Health Services' treatment of obesity. Certain Medicare patients will pay a copay of $50 per month for all approved uses of GLP-1 drugs, including diabetes and obesity treatment. Eli Lilly’s blockbuster drug tirzepatide, sold as Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes, has been cleared to treat obesity, making it the second in a highly effective class of weight loss medications to enter the market. Lilly said it is releasing a savings card for people with commercial insurance to get Zepbound for $25 for a one- or three-month prescription if their plans cover it. In clinical trials, Zepbound was found to yield more than 20% average weightloss at higher doses over 72 weeks, more than seen withother approved weight loss medications. However, Lilly warned that it should not be used alongside other similar weight loss medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy. Semaglutide medications for weight loss, like Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy, focus on just targeting GLP-1. Tirzepatide, its active ingredient, had been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for type 2 diabetes called Mounjaro. The high dose of Eli Lilly’s retatrutide led to an average 28.7% loss in body weight measured at 68 weeks. Mounjaro is still “in shortage” on the FDA’s drug shortages list, but all dose sizes are labeled as available. For those whose plans don’t cover Zepbound, the savings card would lower the cost to $550 per month, or about half the list price. Medicare and Medicaid are prohibited from covering obesity medications. Before insurance, Zepbound will cost about $1,060 per month, slightly higherthan Mounjaro’s list price of $1,023. There is no rational reason, other than greed, why Mounjaro should cost $1,069 a month in the United States but just $485 in the United Kingdom and $94 in Japan. Zacks predicts another significant surge in months to come. Top-line 52-week data from the phase II study is expected in late 2024. Amgen AMGN also has a GLP-1 receptor candidate, MariTide (maridebart cafraglutide), for obesity in its pipeline. Also, most compounded versions of tirzepatide come in vials, so patients should be especially careful with the source of their medication, she noted. “It’s old school, but I have patients with type 1 and 2 diabetes who prefer vial and syringe to pen devices. In an open letter in June, the company emphasized that it is the “only lawful supplier of FDA-approved tirzepatide medicines” and that products from other unverified sources may be “fake, counterfeit, or otherwise unsafe products.” Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) Posted Healthy Earnings But There Are Some Other Factors To Be Aware Of Stomach problems, sometimes severe, have been reported in people who use Zepbound. If you have any of these symptoms, tell your healthcare provider. Additional information about Walmart can be found by visiting corporate.walmart.com, on Facebook at facebook.com/walmart, on X (formerly known as Twitter) at twitter.com/walmart, and on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/walmart. We've been pioneering life-changing discoveries for nearly 150 years, and today our medicines help tens of millions of people across the globe. It adds to growing evidence that there could be further health benefits tied to a class of weight loss and diabetes treatments that have soared in popularity and slipped into shortages in the U.S. over the past year. The companies have agreed to sell the treatments for $245 a month across both programs for weight loss and diabetes. Eli Lilly has launched a unique website to connect U.S. patients seeking obesity treatment to doctors, dieticians and its new weight-loss drug, Zepbound. Zepbound and other weight loss drugs are not covered by many insurance plans, but Eli Lilly's diabetes counterpart Mounjaro is. Eli Lilly Drug for 3 Obesity Targets Sets New High Bar for Weight Loss in a Clinical Trial Tirzepatide is already FDA-approved under the name Mounjaro, which is designed to help with blood sugar management in people who have type 2 diabetes. Zepbound isn’t an entirely new drug (more on that in a moment), but it’s understandable to have questions about what this is and when people can have access to it. “In light of increasing rates of both obesity and overweight in the United States, today’s approval addresses an unmet medical need.” Viking Therapeutics VKTX is also progressing with the development of its GIP/GLP-1 agonist called VK2735 for obesity. Novo Nordisk is also making efforts to increase the supply capacity for Wegovy in the United States as well as other international markets. Lilly’s tirzepatide medicines face strong competition from Novo Nordisk’s NVO semaglutide. The supply constraints are affecting Lilly’s ability to launch Mounjaro and Zepbound in new markets. Demand is exceeding supply despite the company's increasing production volumes. Before late 2024, Medicare had not been covering Zepbound because the FDA has approved it for weight loss only.Sister GLP-1 drug Zepbound grew even more, with a 185% revenue jump.The findings suggest Zepbound may be a superior treatment for weight loss, helping obese or overweight patients lose 20.2% of their body weight, or roughly 50 pounds, on average after 72 weeks in the phase three trial.There's just one problem investors need to understand before buying this drug maker.You can pay out-of-pocket, taking advantage of the lower prices expected to be available on drug manufacturers’ websites linked to from TrumpRx.Zepbound led to an average of 27.4 fewer AHI events per hour at 52 weeks in people who were not on PAP machines.Taking into account patients who fell behind the treatment plan, the placebo-adjusted weight loss was 18.3%. Still, the company's hopes remained intact that CT-388 offered a superior mode of action, said Manu Chakravarthy, Roche's head of development in the cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic fields. "The headline data released today puts CT-388 pretty much into the same efficacy ballpark as Zepbound," Jefferies analysts said in a research note. Tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Zepbound, is already approved under the name Mounjaro help improve blood sugar in adults with Type 2 diabetes, the FDA said. According to a statement provided by the company, "Our CEO Mike Doustdar and EVP, US Operations, Dave Moore were the only two Novo Nordisk representatives in the Oval Office yesterday." In October, Kennedy Jr. unveiled a new plan he said would drastically reduce drug prices across America. Separately, the company has invested an additional $1.2 billion to update existing manufacturing facilities in Indianapolis and recently acquired an injectable manufacturing facility in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin, from Nexus Pharmaceuticals. This expansion will enhance Lilly’s capacity to manufacture active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) for Zepbound (tirzepatide) injection and Mounjaro (tirzepatide) injection. In the US, Lilly gained market share in the incretin analogues market for the fifth consecutive quarter.” In comparison, Eli Lilly's (LLY) weight-loss shot, Zepbound, brought in roughly 3,100 prescriptions in its first week on the market, Leerink Partners analyst David Risinger said in a note. Not only is the cash gusher from Eli Lilly's GLP-1 drugs destined to eventually end, but the industry is also highly competitive. Eli Lilly's offering could be surpassed by another company's GLP-1 drug. In a decade or so, investors are likely to start worrying about Eli Lilly losing patent protections on its GLP-1 drugs. The drugmaker is hugely reliant on these two blockbuster drugs to support its income statement. AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that empowers people to choose how they live as they age. You can’t contribute to a health savings account after you enroll in Medicare, but if you’ve already accumulated money in an account, you can withdraw it tax-free at any time for eligible expenses. Eli Lilly has a Mounjaro savings program available to adults with an on-label prescription for type 2 diabetes, but you’ll need proof of your condition to enroll in the savings program. And it has a savings card for people without insurance. Retiree health insurance. The US big pharma company plans to submit its candidate, called orforglipron, to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for regulatory review in obesity this year, with a T2D application coming in 2026.The companies say that raises questions about what some manufacturers are selling and marketing to consumers.The 28.7% average weight loss (32.3 kg or 71.2 pounds) was for the 12 mg dose, the higher of the two doses evaluated in the study.Zepbound comes with a high list price of $1,059.87, which may limit the number of people who can receive it since insurance companies often do not cover weight loss medications.But that definitely does not mean it will be covered by your plan as a weight loss medication, even if it’s covered for diabetes” or sleep apnea, Cubanski says.Eli Lilly said its weight loss drug Zepbound led to 47% greater weight reduction than rival medicine Wegovy, made by Novo Nordisk, in a head-to-head randomized controlled trial.Zepbound has slipped into shortages since receiving approval in the U.S. for weight management in November. Today, Eli Lilly & Co. is involved in every step of the pharmaceutical value chain – from research and drug discovery to large-scale manufacturing and distribution of medicines. Notably, in 1986, the company launched Prozac (fluoxetine), a breakthrough antidepressant that became a cultural phenomenon as one of the first widely used SSRI medications. In the decades after World War II, the company broadened its focus beyond insulin and vaccines, investing heavily in research and manufacturing. The cash price of Novo's pill is already the lowest seen on the market, at $149 for the starting dose and up to $299 for the higher doses. Dubbed the "triple G" drug, retatrutide works by mimicking three hunger-regulating hormones — GLP-1, GIP and glucagon — rather than just one or two. But he also sees the opportunity to combine the company's injection with GLP-1s to "continue to drive benefits." By reducing that protein, Wave believes the drug can increase fat loss, particularly harmful visceral fat, while preserving lean muscle mass. Pfizer inherited several experimental injections and pills with combination potential from its roughly $10 billion acquisition of the obesity biotech Metsera last year. That means Eli Lilly's Monday announcement around cutting prices on the existing single-dose vials could allow more patients to get discounted treatments more quickly. Eli Lilly's announcement comes just weeks after President Donald Trump inked deals with Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to make their GLP-1 drugs easier for Americans to get and afford. Starting Monday, cash-paying patients with a valid prescription can get the starting dose of Zepbound vials for as low as $299 per month on LillyDirect, down from a previous price of $349 per month. As of 2024, the company employed approximately 47,000 people globally, including roughly 11,000 in R&D roles focused on next-generation therapies. Obesity market competition intensifies Eli Lilly said it will begin phase 3 clinical trials after the promising results, with the aim to enroll patients by the end of the year. This was compared to patients who lost 0.4% when taking a placebo, according to the trial results, which were published in the medical journal The Lancet. “Unhealthy bodies should still be allowed to exist in our world.” “I’m not invested in people feeling bad about their bodies,” he said. Even with these distressing downsides, Brown said she would never discourage someone with obesity from taking Ozempic, in part because of how much better society treats her now that she’s physically smaller. A meta-analysis presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in October concluded tirzepatide was "more effective for weight loss than semaglutide, with a larger weight-loss effect at higher doses," but acknowledged limitations in trying to make a direct comparisons of the two.Drugmaker Eli Lilly said Tuesday it will sell single-use vials of its weight-loss drug Zepbound at a fraction of the price of its pens, amid skyrocketing demand among Americans for anti-obesity medications.These drugs, like those of Lilly, act on hormones involved in digestion, and as a result, help regulate blood sugar levels and appetite.Amgen AMGN also has a GLP-1 receptor candidate, MariTide (maridebart cafraglutide), for obesity in its pipeline.Almost a third of claims are attributed to long-term sickness, including pre-existing health conditions, such as obesity, which has been exacerbated by Covid. But the Wednesday data appears to be the most concrete evidence of Zepbound's edge, as the trial randomly assigned 751 patients to receive the maximum dose of either drug. A late-stage study on Zepbound showed that it helped patients lose more than 22% of their weight on average over 72 weeks, while a separate study on Wegovy showed that it led to 15% weight loss on average over 68 weeks. The company added that more than 31% of people taking Zepbound lost at least a quarter of their body weight, compared to just about 16% of those on Wegovy who lost that much weight. As to whether patients would choose pickup or delivery, Mazur said, "I think it's all about individual people, their lifestyle and how they choose to access healthcare." (Patients who had type 2 diabetes lost an average of 12% of their body weight.) Two randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials (per the FDA) of 2,519 adults with obesity or overweight found that those who took Zepbound had a statistically significant reduction in body weight compared to those who took a placebo. Weight loss drugs exploded in popularity over the past year and now there’s one more to add to the mix. The FDA just approved Eli Lily’s tirzepatide-containing drug. The overall safety and tolerability – or how well patients handle treatment – of the pill were consistent with previous late-stage studies. “Coverage and pricing changes will phase in during 2026 with cash prices for TrumpRx purchases as early as January,” says Michael Baker, director of health care policy at the American Action Forum. “Today’s announcement builds upon our … goal of democratizing access to weight-loss medication, which has been out of reach for so many in need,” says Dr. Mehmet Oz, CMS administrator. By July, CMS will launch its own short-term program to allow eligible Medicare Part D prescription plan beneficiaries to pay $50 a month for GLP-1 medications for the rest of the year. Tariff threats and proposed drug price reductions under the Trump administration have created an environment of caution among investors and companies alike. Novo Nordisk earlier this year submitted an application for the use of its weight loss drug Wegovy in treating patients with HFpEF.The multidose pen of Zepbound will be available for $299 per month at the lowest dose, with additional doses being priced up to $449 per month.More than 1 in 5 patients on the highest dose also experienced dysesthesia, which is an unpleasant nerve sensation.Eli Lilly's investment will also see the company launch its first "Lilly Gateway Labs" innovation accelerator in Europe to support early-stage life sciences businesses to develop transformative medicines and technologies.Lilly was among the first companies to launch a direct-to-consumer platform in 2024 offering its obesity drug Zepbound at a discount, and Novo followed more than a year later. Related article Eli Lilly launches service to connect patients with telehealth care, deliver medications to their homes This is a welcome first step for American families struggling to access these drugs,” Biden said in a statement. President Joe Biden heralded Lilly’s announcement on Tuesday, pointing to it as an example of the fruits of his work to lower the cost of prescription drugs. A meta-analysis presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes in October concluded tirzepatide was "more effective for weight loss than semaglutide, with a larger weight-loss effect at higher doses," but acknowledged limitations in trying to make a direct comparisons of the two. If you are looking at the drug niche of the healthcare sector, you don't have to focus exclusively on GLP-1 drugs. The lofty valuation the stock is being afforded could quickly shrink if another company's GLP-1 drug is better received by the market. Studies of Wegovy showed that the drug helped people lose about 34 pounds (15 kilograms) or about 15% of their weight. The FDA last month also said it had received reports of patients overdosing on compounded semaglutide due to dosing errors such as patients self-administering incorrect amounts of a treatment. Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have both stepped in to address illicit versions of their treatments, suing weight loss clinics, medical spas and compounding pharmacies across the U.S. over the past year. Eli Lilly in April released initial results from the two clinical trials, which showed that Zepbound was more effective than a placebo at reducing the severity of OSA in patients with obesity after a year. Zepbound could be a valuable new treatment option for patients with OSA, which can lead to loud snoring and excessive daytime sleepiness, and can contribute to serious complications including stroke and heart failure. Roughly 20 million of those people have moderate-to-severe forms of the disease, but 85% of cases go undiagnosed, the company told CNBC earlier this year. The announcement also comes weeks after chief rival Novo Nordisk unveiled additional discounts on the cash prices of its obesity and diabetes drugs. Having introduced one of the first GLP-1s in the 2000s, the company returned to the spotlight with Mounjaro (tirzepatide), approved in 2022 for diabetes, followed by Zepbound, its obesity-specific version, in 2023. The trend was initially led by Danish rival Novo Nordisk, whose semaglutide-based drugs – Ozempic (for diabetes) and Wegovy (for obesity) – gained rapid traction after their launches in 2017 and 2021. Higher doses of tirzepatide helped patients with obesity lose roughly 20.9% of their body weight on average in late-stage studies, when analyzing all patients regardless of discontinuations. Pharmaceutical companies generally take a slower but steady path, and this is due to the fact that patients always need their medicines -- this supports revenue stability over time. It is trading at 16.4 times forward earnings, compared to Eli Lilly's 32.5, and the average of 18.6 for the healthcare sector. Further, Eli Lilly has significantly diversified its pipeline in recent years and now boasts promising programs across oncology, pain, immunology, cardiovascular health, and more. It does not have any medicine that is in blockbuster territory outside of those markets. It recently earned approval for an oral formulation of Wegovy, which could help boost its sales by reaching price-sensitive, needle-phobic, cash-paying patients. Outside of Medicare, typical requirements include a BMI of 30 or higher or 27 or higher when combined with another health condition. “With obesity, every insurance and every employer follow their own plan,” she says. The FDA approved the first GLP-1 drug in 2005. GLP-1 is a class of medications created to treat type 2 diabetes by helping the pancreas release the right amount of insulin when blood sugar levels are high. In March 2024, the FDA approved Wegovy’s use for adults with cardiovascular disease who are also overweight, which opened the door for Medicare Part D plans to cover it. That may include people who are afraid of needles, as well as people who could benefit from existing injections but don't view their condition as severe enough to warrant a weekly shot. In a May report, McKinsey said it expects a range of 25 to 50 million U.S. patients to use GLP-1s by 2030. There is still a "long tail" to reaching the 110 million that are reportedly suffering from the condition, along with those who are overweight, he added. While access remains a challenge for many patients, the ability to get GLP-1s has improved notably over the past year. "But I think by presenting people with options, they'll pick for themselves with their doctors, and I think we want to have something for everyone," he continued. Zepbound carries a list price of roughly $1,086 per month. They can also access the next dose, 5 milligrams, for $399 per month and all other doses for $449 per month, down from $499 per month across those sizes. But there is a huge opportunity to improve human health and for Lilly to change ourselves and the rest of the industry.” For companies like Eli Lilly, the challenge lies in maintaining pipeline momentum and bringing new therapies to market quickly enough to offset those losses. Whether it's Congressional debates on drug pricing, evolving FDA approval standards, or Medicare coverage decisions, government action can have large effects on its business or the industry as a whole overnight. With CMS’s New List of Meds for Drug Price Negotiation, Analyst Sees Small Financial Hit to Pharmas Patients typically start treatment with a 2.5 milligram dose for four weeks, then gradually increase the amount per week and later take so-called maintenance doses to keep the weight off. However, some medical professionals expressed concern over drawing an association between health treatments and economic outcomes. "Illness caused by obesity causes people to take an extra four sick days a year on average, while many others are forced out of work altogether." Ozempic, for instance, comes with a hefty price tag — about $200 to $300 a month in Canada — because it isn’t typically covered for weight loss under insurance plans, doctors told Global News. With tirzepatide’s high efficacy, industry analysts predict it could become one of the top-selling drugs ever. According to clinical trials, however, Zepbound (or tirzepatide) may perform better than semaglutide when it comes to weight loss. Despite being the same drug, the former is approved specifically for diabetes while the latter is approved for obesity. The FDA approved Zepbound as a way to help patients lose weight and keep it off. Lilly’s new drug is the same as its type 2 medication Mounjaro, but it will be marketed under the brand name Zepbound. The new Lilly product is in the same drug class as Novo Nordisk weight medication Wegovy, but it offers an additional mechanism of action and costs less. Eli Lilly weight management drug Zepbound landed its much anticipated FDA approval. The drugmaker said Thursday, Jan 4, 2024, it will use the site, called LillyDirect, to pair visitors with third-party mail-order pharmacies for prescriptions and to care providers through a virtual medical weight-loss clinic. He joined STAT in 2025 after covering health care at POLITICO. Daniel Payne reports on how the health industry and Washington influence and impact each other. If that ends up being the case, Reitano said Ro "will both follow all applicable laws and guidance" under the FDA and also "fight to make sure that our patients have access to the most effective products and most affordable products." Jury selection begins in Dale Warner murder trial Eli Lilly's weight loss drug Zepbound showed benefits in patients with a common type of heart failure and obesity, according to late-stage trial data the company released Thursday. LillyDirect, which launched in January 2024, connects people with an independent telehealth company that can prescribe certain drugs if the patients are eligible. The ongoing shortages of tirzepatide and other popular weight-loss drugs have allowed for compounded versions of the treatments – with similar or related ingredients – to hit the market, with less oversight and regulation from the US Food and Drug Administration. Zepbound in the U.S. will have a list price of about US$1,000 a month, the same as Mounjaro, but U.S. medicare is prohibited from covering drugs specifically for weight loss. Patients have turned to compounded versions of tirzepatide amid intermittent U.S. shortages of the branded drugs, which carry hefty price tags of $1,000 per month before insurance and other rebates. It's a blow to some compounding pharmacies, which say their copycat drugs help patients who don't have insurance coverage for Zepbound and can't afford its hefty price tag of roughly $1,000 a month. “Given the increased interest around obesity medications, we conducted this study to help health care providers and patients make informed decisions about treatment choice,” Dr. Leonard C. Glass, senior vice president of global medical affairs at Lilly Cardiometabolic Health, said in a statement on Wednesday. Around 10% of new patients in the obesity market who start a treatment are using Zepbound through LillyDirect's self-pay pharmacy, Jonsson added. Drug manufacturer Eli Lilly announced Tuesday that its flagship weight loss medication, Zepbound, is now available for patient use. It also should not be combined with other so-called GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs, which include its sibling Mounjaro, as well as Wegovy and Ozempic. The agency also notes that other people could be at higher risk of more severe issues from Zepbound, including patients with a history of medullary thyroid cancer, pancreas inflammation, or severe gastrointestinal disease. Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk have both faced claims that their drugs can cause stomach paralysis. The drug brought in $1.3 billion in sales for Lilly in this year’s third quarter, less than a year after it hit the market. Lilly said patients taking Zepbound lost about 20% of their weight on average compared to nearly 14% for Wegovy. Wegovy, Ozempic, Zepbound and Mounjaro are under patent protection in the U.S. and abroad, and Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly do not supply the active ingredients in their drugs to outside groups. However, the FDA does inspect some outsourcing facilities that compound drugs, according to its website. A trade organization representing compounding pharmacies — the Outsourcing Facilities Association — sued the FDA on Oct. 8 over the agency's decision to remove tirzepatide from its official drug shortages list just days earlier. In an interview at the conference, Doustdar said it could also include people who travel frequently and can't easily refrigerate injections.GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro have helped millions of Americans lose weight and better manage their type 2 diabetes.The weight-loss treatment firm and creator of Zepbound announced Monday that it would commit £279 million ($364 million) to help tackle Britain's significant health challenges — including obesity.As chief scientific officer at Eli Lilly, he's already done it once with the company's weekly shot, Zepbound.In the second half of the 20th century, Eli Lilly introduced several blockbuster drugs that carried it into a new era.Bolno said the company is developing the injection, called WVE-007, as a monotherapy or a potential maintenance treatment that patients can switch to and take far less frequently after being on GLP-1s.In the U.S., Zepbound is approved for adults who are considered obese using a measure known as body mass index (BMI), a ratio of weight to height. The data used in our company analysis is from S&P Global Market Intelligence LLC. Both Merck and Bristol Myers Squibb have proven over time that they can develop new drugs to offset patent cliffs. The lack of exposure to GLP-1 drugs has Merck and Bristol Myers Squibb flying under the radar right now. Right now, it has the leading GLP-1 drugs, with its injection-based Mounjaro and Zepbound. While Mounjaro had already been used by some patients "off-label" for weight loss, the new FDA approval will allow the drugmaker to begin officially selling and marketing tirzepatide — branded as Zepbound — for weight loss too.Pivotal Peptides says it offers research grade tirzepatide, while MangoRx sells a compounded version, both online.The new results showed that 43% of people in the first study and 51.5% of patients in the second trial who took the highest dose of Zepbound achieved "disease resolution," according to a release.The company in December released data showing that patients who initially took Wegovy or Zepbound shots maintained the majority of their weight loss after switching to Lilly's pill.Earlier this year, the Danish pharmaceutical company paid United Biotechnology $200 million up front for rights to this injectable drug, which at the time had completed Phase 1b testing in China. With that comes an 8.38% increase in share price during pre-market trading. Pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly (LLY) is seeing its stock soar on Friday thanks to an announcement from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Ownership data provided by LSEG and Estimate data provided by FactSet. Real-time quote and/or trade prices are not sourced from all markets. Eli Lilly's next generation of weight loss drugs appear to show promise, possibly leading to even faster weight loss and added health benefits, early trial results suggest. While doctors and drugmakers have hailed advancements in weight-loss drugs as a treatment for obesity, these medications do come with serious downsides. People are eligible for the drug if they have a BMI of at least 30 or higher, so are patients with a BMI of 27 if they have at least one weight-related health condition like diabetes or high blood pressure. In a separate note on Thursday, BMO's Seigerman said discontinuation rates "appear to highlight the speed and strength of weight loss was excessive for some patients with lower BMI." But he said, "all in results are impressive." Eli Lilly said those dropout rates were "highly correlated" to patients' starting body mass index and included discontinuations due to "perceived excessive weight loss." Roughly 18% of patients on the highest dose of the drug stopped treatment due to side effects, compared with 4% of those in the placebo group. Lilly said these lawsuits were not in any way contingent on tirzepatide coming off of that list and could have been filed regardless of whether supply issues had been resolved. The new lawsuits, which name Pivotal Peptides, MangoRx and Genesis Lifestyle Medicine of Nevada, are the first related to copycat tirzepatide filed since the U.S. It even resulted in drug shortages a couple of years ago until Lilly expanded its manufacturing capacity. Roche has six drug candidates in trials for the treatment of obesity and related conditions like type 2 diabetes and hypertension, which could all be launched by 2030. Roche's experimental obesity drug CT a once-weekly injection - is a so-called dual GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist that regulates blood sugar and reduces appetite and is in the same class as Lilly's market-leading Zepbound, also known as tirzepatide and Mounjaro. BERLIN, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Roche's ROG.S experimental obesity drug, which works in a similar way to Eli Lilly's LLY.N Zepbound, produced as much as 22.5% weight loss in a mid-stage trial, underpinning the Swiss drugmaker's efforts to catch up with dominant rivals. Roche obesity drug shows 22.5% weight loss in Phase-II trial