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Eli Lilly lowers Zepbound costs amid rising calls for affordability

Lilly cuts prices for its weight loss drug Zepbound as the World Health Organization issues its first global GLP-1 obesity guidelines, urging expanded access and affordability.

Alivia Kaylor, MSc
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Published: 02 Dec 2025

Eli Lilly has cut the price of its popular GIP/GLP-1 obesity drug, Zepbound (tirzepatide), again as demand for weight-loss therapies continues to surge.

The company said yesterday that it has lowered the cost of single-dose vials of its weight loss titan, making the treatment more affordable for people in the United States.

With a prescription, patients can now buy the starting dose (2.5 mg) of Zepbound for $299 a month, $50 less than before, on Lilly's direct-to-consumer digital healthcare platform, LillyDirect, the company said in a press release.

Under the Self Pay Journey Program offered through LillyDirect, the 5 mg dose drops $100 to $399, while higher doses (7.5–15 mg) fall to $449 from $499.

Regular monthly costs, when not using the self-pay program, are $599 for 7.5 mg, $699 for 10 mg, $849 for 12.5 mg and $1,049 for 15 mg, Lilly said.

The announcement came on the same day the World Health Organization issued its first global recommendation supporting GLP-1 medicines, including tirzepatide and semaglutide, for long-term treatment of obesity, urging action on affordability and supply.

Lilly cut a deal last month with the Trump administration to reduce the prices of its GLP-1 weight-loss drugs for Medicare and Medicaid enrollees and cash payers on TrumpRx, in exchange for a three-year reprieve from future tariffs on pharmaceutical imports.

Beginning as early as April of next year, Medicare beneficiaries will pay no more than $50 per month for Zepbound in multi-dose pens and Lilly's once-a-day weight loss pill orforglipron, as long as both receive FDA approval.

GLP-1 pricing drops

Novo Nordisk, Lilly's main rival in the weight-loss drug market, also reached an agreement last month with the current administration to lower the cost and expand access to its GLP-1 drug semaglutide, branded as Wegovy for weight loss and Ozempic for diabetes.

The deal covers Medicare Part D, Medicaid and direct-to-patient cash purchases, including a pilot program to provide coverage of Wegovy for most Part D beneficiaries. Novo's deal also includes a three-year tariff exemption, similar to Lilly's.

Lilly's success of tirzepatide

Fueled by the success of tirzepatide (Zepbound, Mounjaro), Lilly overtook Novo last year as the top producer of obesity drugs. Tirzepatide has since become the world's best-selling drug, surpassing Merck's cancer therapy Keytruda.

Looking to cement its lead in the next wave of weight loss drugs, Lilly is set to begin late-stage clinical trials of its investigational amylin obesity drug, eloralintide, this month. A phase 1 trial testing the drug as a standalone treatment and in combination with tirzepatide is also underway.

Lilly's overwhelming success in developing medicines for obesity has boosted its market value to levels on par with tech giants like Apple and Google, making it the first drugmaker to hit $1 trillion less than two weeks ago.

Alivia Kaylor is a scientist and the senior site editor of Pharma Life Sciences.

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