LillyDirect now offers disease management resources, including access to virtual or in-person provider support, and direct home delivery of prescriptions through third-party services, according to a Jan. 4 news release. Prescription deliveries will take place through LillyDirect Pharmacy Solutions, the manufacturer’s digital pharmacy, and will have no shipping costs.
The new offering comes amid a rise in direct-to-consumer telehealth startups that offer weight loss medications and marks the first such offering from a manufacturer. GLP-1s come with a steep price tag, costing upward of $10,000 per year without insurance. Ozempic, Trulicity, Victoza and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro are FDA approved to treat Type 2 diabetes, and Zepbound, Wegovy and Saxenda are approved for weight loss.
Eli Lilly also published an open letter the same day warning against “cosmetic” use of its weight-loss drugs.
“Lily stands against the use of its medicines for cosmetic weight loss,” the company said. “Mounjaro and Zepbound are indicated for the treatment of serious diseases; they are not approved for — and should not be used for — cosmetic weight loss.”
The FDA approved Zepbound in November to treat adults with obesity who have at least one weight-related medical problem. Mounjaro was approved in 2022 to treat adults with Type 2 diabetes and is meant to be used alongside diet and exercise.
