Earlier this week, Eli Lilly partnered up with telehealth providers LifeMD and Teladoc Health to offer its lower cost, single-vial Zepbound (tirzepatide) to patients in the virtual care companies' full-service weight loss management programs.
The companies are directly contracting with Eli Lilly's self-pay pharmacy, GiftHealth. The move could be a boon for telehealth weight loss programs, which have proved lucrative for virtual primary care companies. Many of the chronic condition management programs, including for weight loss, also offer remote monitoring, access to dietitians and health coaches as well as the ability to be prescribed medication for weight loss, including older medications.
The announcement follows Eli Lilly’s partnership with telehealth platform Ro three months ago. The pharmaceutical company launched its own direct-to-consumer telehealth offering for weight loss in January 2024. Now, it seems to be creating a marketplace of access.
In a recent earnings call, Teladoc executives touted the success of their weight loss management solution, which CEO Chuck DiVita said was gaining traction with employers. Executives said on the call that Teladoc has a million patients enrolled in its chronic condition management programs, including weight loss.
Eli Lilly will now be directly reaching into that pocket of customers, 75,000 at LifeMD and tens of thousands at Teladoc, to offer a reduced cost GLP-1—a cost that employers have been struggling to cover amid demand. On LifeMD’s website, GLP-1s are featured prominently to advertise to potential customers. Zepbound has now been added to that list, with a prominent sign that it results in the most weight lost on average compared to competitors like Ozempic and compounded GLP-1s.
Patients in the virtual weight management programs will now have access to Eli Lilly’s reduced-cost GLP-1 in doses from 2.5 mg to 15 mg and single vial and single pen injections. Lilly recently launched additional doses of Zepbound vials and reduced pricing of existing vial doses.
By working directly with Lilly’s pharmacy, patients have the option to pay a reduced out-of-pocket cost of $349 per month for a 2.5-mg vial or $499 for 5 mg. The company is also running a deal to get the higher doses, 7.5 mg and 10 mg, also at $499, according to the LillyDirect website at press time.
“At Teladoc Health, we are dedicated to expanding access to clinically responsible, evidence-based care,” said Kelly Bliss, president of the company's U.S. Group Health, at Teladoc. “We provide the integrated support necessary for patient safety and sustainable health outcomes. By integrating with LillyDirect, we are reducing barriers to high-quality care and helping our members afford transformative FDA-approved treatments while avoiding the potential risks of compounded medications recently offered by others.”
A press release by Teladoc says its staff will be able to oversee the fulfillment process of a patient’s Zepbound prescription, which delivers directly to the patient’s home.
“At Gifthealth, we are excited to integrate with Teladoc Health to streamline access to Zepbound for patients in need,” Robert Hoppe, executive vice president of life sciences at Gifthealth, said in a statement. “Through Gifthealth’s relationship with LillyDirect, we provide a seamless, affordable path for patients to receive this FDA-approved treatment. Our technology-powered solutions aim to remove barriers, improve medication access, and ensure that patients have reliable access to safe and effective weight management treatments.”
“We commend Lilly’s initiative to offer more accessible solutions for obesity treatment with the recent launch of the new Zepbound Self Pay Journey Program,” Justin Schreiber, chairman and CEO of LifeMD, said in a statement. “Our integration with LillyDirect’s self-pay pharmacy provider further enhances LifeMD patients’ experience with seamless access to branded Zepbound vials at the newly reduced self-pay price. This new integration complements our insurance-sponsored pharmacy programs, where we continue to see rising approval rates for branded GLP-1 therapies like Zepbound. LifeMD remains dedicated to elevating access to quality medical care, which starts with offering healthcare that is more patient-centric, affordable and convenient. We believe that commitment uniquely positions LifeMD’s weight management program to make healthy living accessible for our patients.”