Lilly lowers the price of Zepbound single-dose vials by $50-$100 per month on LillyDirect –
Follows Novo Nordisk’s $150 cut to its direct-to-consumer price in November; cash-pay Zepbound price now at $299-$449 per month depending on dose
Lilly announced today that it has lowered the price of Zepbound (tirzepatide for obesity) single-dose vials on LillyDirect, the company’s digital healthcare platform. Through the Zepbound Self Pay Journey Program, patients can now access: (i) the starting dose of Zepbound (2.5 mg) at $299 per month, down from $349 per month; (ii) the 5 mg dose at $399 per month, down from $499 per month; and (iii) all other approved doses at $449 per month, down from $499 per month. As background, LillyDirect was launched in the US in January 2024 to provide direct home delivery service of prescription medications for diabetes, obesity, and migraines. Since June 2025, all approved doses in single-dose vials were made available through the Zepbound Self Pay Journey Program at $499/month or less for eligible patients.[1]
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- Lilly’s announcement follows Novo Nordisk’s November price cut to Wegovy; Wegovy remains the lowest cost-option with its limited-time offering
- Lilly lowered prices of multi-dose Zepbound pens, pending FDA approval, last month
- Price drop comes amid Lilly and Novo Nordisk’s pricing negotiations with the US government
- Close Concerns’ Questions
Lilly’s announcement follows Novo Nordisk’s November price cut to Wegovy; Wegovy remains the lowest cost-option with its limited-time offering
Novo Nordisk announced last month that it will lower the direct-to-consumer standard price of Wegovy (semaglutide) to $349 per month, down $150 from $499 per month. The company also launched a limited introductory offer, expiring on March 31, 2026, that lists the 0.25 mg and 0.5 mg doses at $199 per month for the first two months of treatment for new patients. Standard pricing would begin the third month of treatment for patients participating in the introductory offer.
| Doses | Lilly’s Zepbound (tirzepatide) | Doses | Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy (semaglutide) |
| 2.5 mg | $299 per month | 0.25, 0.5 mg | $199 introductory offer or $349 per month afterward |
| 5 mg | $399 per month | 1, 1.7, 2.4 mg | $349 per month |
| 7.5, 10, 12.5, 15 mg | $449 per month |
Source: Close Concerns Knowledgebase
As shown in the table above, with these offers, the starting dose for Zepbound is now at $299 per month, more expensive than Wegovy’s introductory offer at $199 per month but slightly cheaper (higher value) than Wegovy’s standard cash price at $349 per month.
Lilly lowered prices of multi-dose Zepbound pens, pending FDA approval, last month
In addition to single-dose pens and Zepbound vials marketed in the insured and cash channels, respectively, Lilly is developing a multi-dose pen for Zepbound, which has yet to be approved by the FDA.
The company announced last month that the multi-dose pen would be discounted by $50 for all doses to reflect pricing available in Europe. Accordingly, the lowest dose (2.5 mg) will be available at $299 per month with additional doses up to $449 per month, matching single-dose vial pricing.
Price drop comes amid Lilly and Novo Nordisk’s pricing negotiations with the US government
For Medicare and Medicaid patients, the White House announced last month that it had reached an agreement with Lilly and Novo Nordisk to offer Zepbound and Wegovy at $245 per month to Medicare patients, who will have a co-pay of $50 per month. State Medicaid programs will be able to access these medications at the same price. The new price changes are expected to take effect by mid-2026 for Medicare users but vary on a state-by-state basis for Medicaid patients.
Moreover, on TrumpRx, the government’s direct-to-consumer platform, Wegovy will cost $350 per month, comparable to the price on NovoCare and substantially lower from its list price of $1,350 per month. Lilly’s tirzepatide products (Zepbound and Mounjaro) were not included in TrumpRx’s November announcement, but we’re curious to see if either therapy might be included in future offerings following today’s announcement. TrumpRx’s website is expected to launch in 2026.
Separately, last week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced significant price discounts for the next 15 drugs included in the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program (MDPNP), which will become effective on January 1, 2027. Three semaglutide products – Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Wegovy – will face a 71% cut to their list prices, dropping from ~$950 per month in 2024 to $274 in 2027. These pricing pressures likely contributed to recent decreases in cash pay costs[2] on Lilly and Novo Nordisk’s direct-to-consumer platforms.
Close Concerns’ Questions
- Is Lilly’s Zepbound single-dose vial price cut in response to Most-Favored-Nation (MFN) pricing negotiations?
- When does Lilly expect an approval and launch of multi-dose pens for Zepbound?
- How might these price changes impact the list price on commercial insurance channel?
--by Elizabeth Rose, Kat Moon, Monica Oxenreiter, and Kelly Close
[1] Eligible patients are those getting the first fill and or a refill within 45 days of a previous delivery. If refilled outside the 45-day window, regular monthly pricing is enforced: (i) $349 for 2.5 mg; (ii) $499 for 5 mg; (iii) $599 for 7.5 mg; (iv) $699 for 10 mg; (v) $849 for 12.5 mg; and (v) $1,049 for 15 mg
[2] “Cash pay costs” refer to the out-of-pocket prices that customers pay when purchasing a product directly from the manufacturer without using insurance.