TUESDAY, Aug. 27, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- Eli Lilly, maker of one of the blockbuster GLP-1 weight-loss drug Zepbound, says it will now offer the medication in single-dose vials at half the price currently available to consumers.

The new 2.5 milligram (mg) and 5 mg weekly dose vials differ from the standard preloaded injector pens that are used to administer Zepbound (tirzepatide) and competitors such as Wegovy (semaglutide).

Instead, patients will use a syringe to withdraw the liquid drug from the vial.

A four-week supply of the 2.5 mg vials will be priced at $399, and a similar supply of the 5 mg vials at $529 -- about half what a month's supply of other GLP-1 obesity meds cost.

There's one catch: Consumers can only order the new vials by paying out of pocket via LillyDirect, a company platform that coordinates telehealth services and fills prescriptions for patients, the company said in a statement.

Lilly said buying the vials directly from the company cuts costs by "removing third-party supply chain entities and allowing patients to access savings directly outside of insurance."

According to Lilly, the new, cheaper product fulfills two goals: Widening access to the sometimes tough-to-get meds, and thwarting what it says are potential unsafe copycat versions made by compounding pharmacies.

"We are excited to share that the Zepbound single-dose vials are now here, further delivering on our promise to increase supply of Zepbound in the U.S.," Patrik Jonsson, Lilly executive vice president and president of Lilly Cardiometabolic Health and Lilly USA, said in the statement. "These new vials not only help us meet the high demand for our obesity medicine, but also broaden access for patients seeking a safe and effective treatment option."

Patients who fall outside of the Zepbound savings card program, those without employer coverage and those who need to pay out-of-pocket can now more easily access the drug, Lilly said.

The danger of unsafe versions of GLP-1 medications is real: Last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning that versions of semaglutide obtained from compounding pharmacies could be dangerous.

In its warning, the FDA said that some users of compounded products ended up needing hospital care due to dosing errors related to confusion over units of measurement, fluctuating product concentrations and the use of multiple-dose vials.

Lilly issued its own alert in June on the dangers of compounded tirzepatide, noting that it is the "only lawful supplier of FDA-approved tirzepatide medicines."

"Lilly is deeply concerned about the proliferation of online sales and posts on social media involving counterfeit, fake, compounded and any other unsafe or untested versions of what they say is tirzepatide," the company said.

Most consumers are flocking to Zepbound for its ability to curb appetite and bring about weight loss. According to Jonsson, the company's clinical trials showed that the 5 mg dose of Zepbound helped users drop an average 15% of their starting weight within 72 weeks of therapy.

Zepbound will still be sold in single-dose pen autoinjector versions at 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg, or 15 mg per 0.5 ml doses.

"The recommended maintenance dosages are 5 mg, 10 mg or 15 mg injected subcutaneously once weekly," the company said.

Zepbound was launched by Lilly after the success of Mounjaro, the company's other form of tirzepatide, which is aimed at curbing diabetes.

Competitor GLP-1 meds include two forms of the Novo Nordisk drug semaglutide: Ozempic (for diabetes) and Wegovy (for weight loss).

More information

Find out more about how GLP-1 medications help trigger weight loss at the Mayo Clinic.

SOURCES: Eli Lilly, statements, Aug. 27 and June 20, 2024; U.S. Food and Drug Administration, statement, July 30, 2024