August 30, 2024
Let’s talk about that Lilly announcement
There’s been plenty of coverage of Eli Lilly’s announcement this week that it will sell vials of Zepbound directly to consumers at a discount. But the company seems to have left out a few important caveats, as STAT News pointed out.
Lilly simultaneously raised the “discounted” price it offers people whose insurance doesn’t cover Zepbound from $550 to $650 a month. Oh, and those Zepbound vials? That’s only the starter dose. For people to continue to use it — as they have to — the only option is the (hard to find) injector pens at full price.
The media turns to APC
If you happened to read the Lilly/Zepbound story on CBS News, you might have noticed that the story quoted our CEO Scott Brunner, who called Lilly’s move “great news for patients” — at least theoretically.
“We’ll be eager to see whether Lilly’s direct-to-patient approach actually works and how quickly FDA will judge that supply is once again sufficient to meet demand. It’s that calculation that will determine whether the drug comes off the shortage list,” APC CEO Scott Brunner said in a statement to CBS MoneyWatch.
Inside Health Policy also quoted Scott in its story about Lilly’s announcement: “It’s a much more rational and care-focused response to the remarkable demand for their drug than the lawsuits and cease-and-desist letters Lilly has been raining down on compounding pharmacies.”
