Eli Lilly, the pharmaceutical company behind GLP-1 injection Zepbound, is working to bring its weight loss drug to the market in pill form.

Eli Lilly on Monday, Dec. 1 slashed prices of its blockbuster weight loss drug Zepbound for consumers who buy the prescription medication directly from the drugmaker.

Lilly's price cuts ranged from $50 to $100, depending on the dosage, for consumers who pay cash via the drugmaker's LillyDirect website.

Customers who buy a month's supply of 2.5 mg single-dose vials will pay $299, a $50 reduction from the previous price of $349. The 5 mg vials will cost $399, down from $499.

Four higher dosages – 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg and 15 mg – will sell for $449. The previous price for higher-dosage vials was $499.

In a statement, Lilly USA President Ilya Yuffa said far too many people who need obesity medication "still face cost and coverage barriers."

The drugmaker's price cuts "underscores Lilly’s commitment to improving access across the obesity care landscape," Yuffa said.

On Nov. 17, Lilly's rival Novo Nordisk announced price cuts for its weight loss and diabetes drugs Wegovy and Ozempic.

Novo Nordisk dropped the price for injectable Wegovy and Ozempic to $349 a month, down from $499 a month, for consumers who purchase the medication directly from the drugmaker, telehealth partners or retail pharmacies. Only the 2 mg dose of Ozempic will remain at $499 a month.

Lilly and Novo have been pressured by Trump administration to lower the prices of popular weight loss and diabetes medications. In a deal announced Nov. 6, President Donald Trump said Medicare would cover Novo's Wegovy and Lilly's Zepbound for millions of older adults. Trump also said the drugmakers would sell discounted versions of the drugs through the federal government's direct-to-consumer website, TrumpRx, which will launch in 2026.

Novo and Lilly agreed to sell the medications to Medicare at an average price of $245 per monthly dose. Medicare enrollees would be charged a monthly copay of $50 to get the weight loss drugs. Medicare expects to launch coverage of the medications in the spring or summer of 2026.

Lilly said its $50 price for eligible Medicare recipients will extend to a "multi-pen" version of Zepbound and its daily anti-obesity pill orforglipron. Both products must first be approved by the Food and Drug Administration.

High list prices and limited insurance coverage of glucagon-like peptide-1 drugs, or GLP-1s, have strained affordability for consumers. Some consumers face escalating out-of-pocket costs with higher copays or other cost-shifting from their insurance plans.

A survey by benefits consultant Mercer found large employers are gradually adding coverage for weight loss medications. In 2025, 49% of large employers covered GLP-1 medications, up from 44% in 2024 and 41% in 2023.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Eli Lilly cuts price for popular weight loss drug Zepbound

Reporting by Ken Alltucker, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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