Eli Lilly has lowered the price of its GLP-1 drug Zepbound (tirzepatide) in single-dose vials, with the starting dose now available for $299 per month through the company’s direct-to-consumer platform, LillyDirect.
The drugmaker said in a Dec. 1 news release the price cut is part of a broader effort to reduce out-of-pocket costs and expand access for people with obesity. The 5-milligram dose is now priced at $399 per month, while all other approved doses, 7.5 to 15 milligrams, cost $449 per month through Lilly’s Self-Pay Journey Program. These prices are lower than the drug’s regular range of $599 to $1,049 per month.
The announcement comes amid intensifying competition in the GLP-1 market. On Nov. 17, Novo Nordisk said it would offer new patients its GLP-1 drugs Ozempic and Wegovy at $199 per month for the first two months of treatment. After that, the monthly price will rise to $349, with TrumpRx set to sell the drugs for $350.
Lilly and Novo Nordisk also reached a federal pricing agreement in November to extend Medicare and Medicaid coverage for GLP-1s beginning in 2026. Under the deal, Zepbound, Mounjaro, Ozempic and Wegovy will be priced at $245 per month for Medicare, with a $50 copay for patients. The companies also agreed to apply most-favored-nation pricing to future obesity and diabetes drugs and to reinvest billions of dollars in U.S. manufacturing.
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