Eli Lilly Adds Highest Doses of Zepbound to Online Pharmacy Platform
Providers can prescribe the 12.5 mg and 15 mg vials of tirzepatide starting July 7, with shipments beginning in early August.
Eli Lilly announced that the highest doses of tirzepatide (Zepbound)—12.5 mg and 15 mg—will be available in single-dose vials for $499 per month through LillyDirect’s Self-Pay Pharmacy Solutions and the Zepbound Self-Pay Journey Program. The company stated that providers can prescribe the 12.5 mg and 15 mg vials on July 7, and shipment will begin in early August.1
Providers can prescribe the 12.5 mg and 15 mg vials of tirzepatide starting July 7, with shipments beginning in early August. | Image Credit: Matt Fowler KC - stock.adobe.com
"Obesity is a serious, chronic disease, and access to obesity medications should be treated with the same urgency as other chronic conditions," Rhonda Pacheco, group vice president of US Cardiometabolic Health at Lilly, said in a news release.1 "Lilly was the first company to offer a self-pay solution for an FDA-approved obesity medication, and we continue to work to expand coverage for Zepbound. In the meantime, the availability of the 2 highest-dose Zepbound vials gives providers and patients another important treatment option."
In February, the company also launched the 7.5 mg and 10 mg single-dose vials as part of the Zepbound Self-Pay Journey Program. In addition, it reduced the price of both the 2.5 mg and 5 mg vials through LillyDirect Self-Pay Pharmacy Solutions. Patients can now self-pay for additional vial sizes, with the 2.5 mg vial costing $349 per month and the 5 mg, 7.5 mg, and 10 mg costing $499 per month. With the new addition, 12.5 mg and 15 mg will also be $499.2
Following Eli Lilly, in March 2025, Novo Nordisk launched NovoCare pharmacy as a direct-to-patient delivery option that allows patients to pay cash for semaglutide (Wegovy) in all available and approved dosages at $499 per month. As part of the program, all dosages of semaglutide will be delivered directly to the patient’s home and filled by CenterWell Pharmacy. Novo Nordisk also announced a partnership with Hims & Hers, LifeMD, and Ro, 3 of the largest telehealth companies, to provide semaglutide to patients and expand access to these weight loss medications.3,4
In May 2025, Evernorth, a division of The Cigna Group, announced a pharmacy benefit offer for both semaglutide and tirzepatide, which would have a monthly copay limit of no more than $200. The copay would also count towards the patient’s annual deductible. The company estimated that savings could be as much as $3600 per year when utilizing the medication from manufacturers or through consumer programs.5
“We are reimagining pharmacy benefits to reduce costs and better serve patients,” Adam Kautzner, PharmD, president of Evernorth Care Management and Express Scripts, said in a news release.5 “This is what Express Scripts does better than anyone: save Americans money on their prescriptions while helping them achieve their health goals.”
READ MORE: Obesity Management Resource Center
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