ALBAWABA - Eli Lilly announced Tuesday that Zepbound starting dosages are now offered in single-dose vials, which will “significantly” boost supply of the weight loss drug amid rapidly growing demand.
Rather of using an injector pen that is already filled with the medication, patients will be pulling out the medication using a syringe.
The primary component in Zepbound and Mounjaro, tirzepatide, is part of an emerging category of obesity and diabetic drugs that have soared in popularity, causing shortages and prompting some consumers to turn to compounding pharmacies, CNN reports.
Compounding pharmacies, which make off-patent medications and are not FDA-recommended, have saturated the market during GLP-1 shortages in the last year. Since Lilly's medications are no longer on the FDA's drug shortage list, compounding pharmacies can no longer sell them, according to Yahoo.
The 2.5mg dosages are priced at $399 per month, while the 5mg doses are priced at $549 per month. Marking a significant decrease from the $1,060 list price per month that was charged when the product was first introduced in December of the previous year.
Patrik Jonsson, executive vice president, and president of Lilly Cardiometabolic Health and Lilly USA, stated “We are excited to share that the Zepbound single-dose vials are now here, further delivering on our promise to increase supply of Zepbound in the U.S.”
Jonsson added that “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. In a clinical study, the 5 mg maintenance dose helped patients achieve an average of 15% weight loss after 72 weeks of treatment and has been a powerful tool for millions of people with obesity looking to lose weight and keep it off.”
