Direct-to-consumer health and wellness company Ro will now offer access to lower-priced, single-dose vials of weight loss drug Zepbound through a new partnership with Eli Lilly.
Ro directly integrated with the pharma company's LillyDirect self-pay pharmacy channel to offer the vials as a treatment option with an on-label prescription from a Ro-affiliated provider.
The new offering will make it easier for Ro's clinically eligible patients to get the lower-cost version of the obesity medication delivered directly to them at the self-pay price, the company said.
Ro said it will offer an end-to-end healthcare experience by combining every part of a patient's journey into one platform—from diagnosis to delivery—to remove barriers to care. The integrated experience supports ongoing care management, treatment adherence and individualized journeys, Ro executives said.
The 2.5-milligram and 5-milligram single-dose vials of Zepbound are available for $399 a month and $549 a month, respectively, via cash, making them more accessible to people without insurance coverage for the drugs. In August, Eli Lilly began offering Zepbound vials in 2.5mg and 5mg dosage strengths through its online LillyDirect pharmacy at a discount of 50% or more compared to the list price of other GLP-1 medicines for obesity.
"Offering Zepbound single-dose vials—the most affordable branded incretin medicine by list price—through another platform to LillyDirect will help ensure broader availability of rigorously tested, FDA-approved and regulated obesity treatment," said Patrik Jonsson, executive vice president, and president of Lilly Cardiometabolic Health and Lilly USA in a statement. "Our goal is to break down barriers and provide patients with safe and effective options they can rely on."
Ro launched a weight loss program that provides access to GLP-1 medications back in January 2023. Members of the Ro Body program also get access to a personalized provider care plan, diagnostic testing with at-home sample collection and 1:1 coaching from nurses. In May, the company launched an online GLP-1 supply tracker as an interactive tool to give patients real-time insights on GLP-1 drug shortages.
"Lilly's release of Zepbound single-dose vials at a lower, self-pay-only price was groundbreaking and reflects the patient-centric model upon which Ro was founded. This integration further streamlines access to the only approved dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist without patients ever having to leave the Ro app, let alone leave their home," said Zach Reitano, co-founder & CEO of Ro in a statement. "We look forward to continuing to fight for patients."