Health Care — Eli Lilly cutting prices for diabetes, obesity drug

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View Online Health Care Health Care The Big Story  Eli Lilly cutting prices for diabetes, obesity drug Eli Lilly announced Tuesday it will be cutting the prices of two of the lowest doses of its GLP-1 agonist Zepbound, an antidiabetic and antiobesity medication, allowing for patients to potentially pay less than half of what they originally paid for a month's supply. © AP Lilly said it would be selling its 2.5-milligram and 5-milligram formulations of Zepbound, a form of tirzepatide, in single-dose vials. This form of the product will be sold for a significantly cheaper price than the auto-injector version.  A month's supply of the 2.5 mg dosage will cost $399 ($99.75 per vial). A month's supply of the 5 mg dose will cost $549 ($137.25 per vial). By comparison, a month's supply of 2.5 mg dosed Zepbound in autoinjector form costs a little over $1,000   These discounted prices will only be available through the company's self-pay pharmacy component, LillyDirect, meant for patients who aren't using insurance to cover the cost of Zepbound.   Eli Lilly said this new product will help with supply chain issues and increase access for those looking to take Zepbound. Patrik Jonsson, executive vice president of Eli Lilly and Co., said that releasing the drug as vials will help those whose insurance does not cover Zepbound.    This announcement comes nearly two months after President Biden and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, co-authored an op-ed criticizing the high cost of drugs like Zepbound.    Sanders welcomed the news Tuesday but still found issue with the company's move.  "Eli Lilly has still refused to lower the outrageous price of Mounjaro that Americans struggling with diabetes desperately need. There is no rational reason, other than greed, why Mounjaro should cost $1,069 a month in the United States but just $485 in the United Kingdom and $94 in Japan," Sanders said in a statement.  "And let's be clear: Even with this modest price reduction for Zepbound, millions of Americans will still be unable to afford the diabetes and weight-loss drugs they desperately need."  Welcome to The Hill's Health Care newsletter, we're Joseph Choi and Alejandra O'Connell-Domenech — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. 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