Lilly introduces a lower-cost weight loss medication that does not require injector pen

The first doses of weight loss drug Zepbound are available now in single dose vials, the manufacturer of Zepbound Eli Lilly announced Tuesday, which the company says can “significantly” expand supply as it expects to see continued demand.

By Deidre McPhillips

CNN —

Starter doses for the weight-loss medication Zepbound are available now in single dose vials, the manufacturer Eli Lilly announced Tuesday, which the company says is expected to “significantly” expand supply as it anticipates a continued rise in demand.

Instead of using a already loaded injector pen make use of a syringe for drawing out the drug.

Tirzepatide is the key ingredient that is active in Zepbound and Mounjaro is a part of a new classes of medicines designed to treat diabetes and obesity. These medications have seen huge growth in demand which has led to shortages and prompting some to take medications made by compounding pharmacies.

“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,” Patrik Jonsson who is vice president for Lilly Cardiometabolic Health and Lilly USA stated in an announcement.

New vials are made available exclusively to customers who pay for their services out of pocket with LillyDirect which is a platform for companies that assists in coordinating the delivery of telehealth services and fill prescriptions on behalf of patients.

The four week supply of 2.5-milligram (mg) vials costs $399. A 4-week supply of 5-mg vials cost $529, or less than half the prices of other GLP-1 drugs for obesity, as per Eli Lilly.

The prices are comparable to the savings program for people who aren’t insured The company claimed. But the option to pay for the vials is now expanding access to those who aren’t enrolled in this savings plan, like people who are on Medicare.

“Despite obesity being recognized as a serious chronic illness with long-term consequences, it’s often misclassified as a lifestyle choice, resulting in many employers and the federal government excluding medications like Zepbound from insurance coverage,” Jonsson stated. “Outdated policies and insufficient coverage for weight loss medications result in a need for more creative solutions. The introduction of Zepbound single dose vials to patients will assist many people who suffer from obesity to manage their condition. We will also continue to fight to create a framework that more matches the scientific evidence.”

The president Joe Biden heralded Lilly’s announcement on Tuesday, pointing out this as a signpost to the fruit of his efforts to reduce costs for prescription medicines.

“Today, I am pleased to see one of these manufacturers, Eli Lilly, taking steps to lower their price by offering a direct-to-consumer version of their medication for less than half the price they used to charge. This is a welcome first step for American families struggling to access these drugs,” Biden declared in an announcement.

He said that it’s “critical to see drug companies cut their prices for all of their products. “

Tirzepatide acts by mimicking hormones that trigger production of insulin. It can boost feelings of fullness and diminish hunger. It targets two hormone receptors: GIP as well as GLP-1. Semgalutide is also called Ozempic to treat diabetes, and Wegovy for weight loss is part of the vast class of medications.

The current shortage of tirzepatide and other popular weight loss drugs have enabled more compounded versions of these treatments which contain the same or similar ingredients – to be introduced into the market, albeit with lesser oversight and supervision by The US Food and Drug Administration.

FDA has issued an warning this month concerning semaglutide compounded in a way The agency claims they have received complaints of adverse reactions – one of which required hospitalization – due to dose errors due to measurement units as well as the different concentrations of products and the use of multiple-dose bottles. Patients “should not use a compounded drug if an approved drug is available,” the agency stated.

Eli Lilly has also expressed concerns about the potential dangers that compounded versions its medicines could pose to people taking the drugs. In an open letter in June, the company stated its position as one of the “only lawful supplier of FDA-approved tirzepatide medicines” and warned that the products of other unreliable sources could have the potential to be “fake, counterfeit, or otherwise unsafe products.”

“[Safety] is our number one priority, and this is a great way for patients to know they’re getting genuine Lilly medicine,” said Rhonda Pacheco the group vice president for Lilly US Cardiometabolic Health. Many people use LillyDirect every week, she added.

The experience of those who self-inject tirzepatide using the syringe which was made from a vial would likely be similar to the experience of using a prefilled penhowever, it may have some additional advantages as well, according to the Dr. Jody Dushay, an endocrinologist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and associate Professor of Medicine within Harvard Medical School.

“It’s old school, but I have patients with type 1 and 2 diabetes who prefer vial and syringe to pen devices. I don’t think it is a much bigger deal to use an insulin syringe vs auto injector, unless someone has severe needle phobia,” she wrote in an email. “It’s not that difficult to draw up a syringe, although the elderly, those with limited dexterity, and those with poor vision will be better off with the auto injector.”

The vial and syringe may allow for greater flexibility with doses particularly for the initial levels Dushay stated. Patients could draw in just 2.5 milligrams if experiencing serious side effects, and less than five mg if they’re willing to increase, but not nearly to double the dosage.

Also, the majority of compounds of tirzepatide are sold in vials, and patients should be extra cautious about the drug’s source She also noted.

Clinical study results showed that patients who took 5-mg shots of tirzepatide lost around 15 percent of their weight following more than a year treatment, based on an average.

A different study discovered that those who used injections of tirzepatide lost more fat and more often meet certain weight loss goals than those using semaglutide.

CNN’s Betsy Klein contributed to this report.