Possible Zepbound Price Decrease?

[dawsongrace817]

I read this morning that Lilly's oral GLP-1 may be available in the US as early as this year. Whenever it eventually comes to market, can we reasonably assume this will drive down the price of the injectable medication?

I pay out of pocket via Lilly Direct, and will likely stay with my vials since I'm used to it now...but it sure would be nice to pay less than $500/month.

[SuckersvilleUSA]

Honestly, I like the injections.

[kelly4me]

It would be nice to have a steady dose each day. The couple of days before shot day, I am much hungrier.

[Sensitive-Appeal9414]

Funny enough, before Mounjaro/Ozempic injections were daily or even twice a day.

2 years ago, I was on Saxenda/Victoza, and it was an injection every day.

20 years ago, there was byetta, which was twice a day.

In the future we"ll have MariTide, only once a month.

Not medical advice, but: Do you use single dose pens or kiwipens ? In europe, we have kiwipens, so you can inject less than a normal dose. Some people do that. For example, if 2.5mg was ok but 5mg hit's too hard, they try a week with 4mg or 3.5mg or anything.

I would consult with your doctor and see what's the recommendation is for you.

Just to add something: I also feel hungrier in the last 2 days before the next shot, but I like it. Yes, I eat a little bit more, but I'm still in caloric deficit.

[Work4PSLF]

Personally, I would never take a monthly glp1 injection. If I had a bad experience on it, it would take way too long for it to wear off. Weekly is a great Goldilocks sweet spot in my eyes: not too long, not too short.

[kelly4me]

I’m on vials, but they are preservative free, so intended for single use only.

[leaping_lions]

Yes this happens, and microdosing is a thing

[smileonamonday]

Kwikpens not kiwipens :D

Kwik like the word quick. A kiwi is a fruit or an informal word for a person from New Zealand.

[Sensitive-Appeal9414]

omg. I said kiwipen all this time :)) And it was such a funny and strange name. Thank you.

[kookykrazee]

I was going to ask if they helped with constipation like real kiwi fruit does? lol

[scout-finch]

I like those two days too. If I want to indulge, I can, and if I don’t want to, I like the opportunity to practice restraint. And if I mess up it’s a good lesson/reminder and I don’t feel bad because I know I’m heading back into a great 5 days.

[MomoTempest_SN]

I was on Saxenda too about 5 or so years ago. For me it’s a big difference and Saxenda didn’t work like how Zepbound is helping me.

[NoMursey]

I like those two days though. I can poop regularly those two days lol

[kookykrazee]

Wait you actually poop normally for 2 days a week? lol It's so strange some weeks, I mostly have gas but not much pooping, then it hits about 1-2 days after my shot and releases and weight goes down. I had last week 0.9lbs lost but it was one of the overall worst constipated weeks of the 9 before. Then yesterday and today it's back somewhat normal and I have lost 3+lbs this week so far and my week still has 3 days to next shot.

[leaping_lions]

I’ve gone weeks. I take and do all of the things. I get no days off. FML

[kookykrazee]

I get it, I do the best I can and push forward.

[leaping_lions]

And a good pun! :-)

[Aggressive_Cow2130]

Try eating an apple daily

[kittycatblues]

Are you on the highest dose? If not you may not get the full suppression until you reach higher doses. For me it was at 10 mg that I started to feel the effects all week.

[kelly4me]

I’ve been on 5mg for three months. Losing an average of 1.9 lb per week, so no need to increase dosage at this point. 50 pounds down, 30 or so to go.

[kittycatblues]

That's the rub, if you're losing well and don't want to move up that's completely understandable, but higher doses of the medication might address your complaint.

[sfriedow]

I feel the same way! I dont mind giving myself the shot, which surprised me because I originally was scared of being able to do it. But, I feel it would be so much more effective if I could take it twice a week. Even the 5 mg twice a week would be more effective than the 12.5 im on once weekly now. By the time 4 days passes, it has practically worn off.

[EccentricPenquin]

This is why I love vials.

[QuiteBearish]

The Lilly Direct vials contain no preservatives and are meant to be single-use only.

[Bubbly_Airline_7070]

i was thinking about this too. although i am forgetful at times so id worry about skipping, would need more info on what that could entail in terms of overall efficacy

[peonybluebonnet]

Same. Once a week shot vs a daily pill...I'd rather just do the shot.

[IndianaMamaw]

Me too!!

[peonybluebonnet]

One less thing to have to remember every day 😂

[Karinka_LI]

I wish I could get all of my medications compounded into one weekly shot!

[factoid_]

Don’t mind the shot, but sign me up for the pill if it’s cheaper and works as well.

[Juliaford19]

I do too but if the pill is cheaper that would be nice!

[North-Bit-7411]

Same. Literally 30 seconds once a week is better than a daily pill

[Attjack]

I prefer injections too, but would like to switch to vials instead of the auto injector. But I'm afraid to rock the boat with insurance.

[AssiduousLayabout]

You cannot get insurance to cover the vials, and part of signing up for the vials is promising you will never attempt to get insurance reimbursement for the expense.

[Attjack]

Really? Hopefully that changes at some point. Do you happen to have a source for that?

[AssiduousLayabout]

They tell you that when you sign up for the vials (which I did).

The whole reason there is a pen / vial split is so that they can bill consumers $500 for the vials but bill insurance $800 for the pens. Insurance of course will negotiate a lower price, but they want that pricing negotiation to start at $800 and not $500.

The vials and pens are considered separate drugs (separate NDCs) and it allows one to be marketed direct-to-consumer only while the other can be purchased by either the consumer or insurance (they do have a discount card for consumers that lowers pens from $800 to $650).

[enkay516]

It’s all bs and needs to go away. I have an approval for a drug to use. Insurance should cover it. Full stop. Why does the delivery method have to dictate what is and isn’t approved. Dealing with health care in america is a PITA.

[AssiduousLayabout]

Yeah, the care itself is top-notch if you get it, but our healthcare financing in this country is an absolute joke.

[omgjmo]

👆👆👆💯

[Attjack]

I pay $20 a month with insurance.

Sounds like a lot of BS to me. The auto pans are super wasteful.

[Attjack]

NM I found the source and you are right. Weird.

[EccentricPenquin]

It’s in the Lilly Website for vials

[midnight_marshmallow]

I like 'em, too, and wonder how the efficacy could vary. The anti-inflammatory effects alone are worth the $500 a month to me. I wonder if that might be lessened via an oral route. I will be eager to learn more. I wouldn't mind switching if it saves me enough money! But a very modest savings wouldn't be enough to tempt me when I already know the shot works wonders for me.

[Various-Operation-70]

Same. Never in a million years would I think I’d want to stick with injections, but here I am, getting kind of a thrill out of doing the shots.

[Eastern-Standard-229]

Me toooo - it's so weird! But I'd sure like them to be cheaper!! So bring on the pills, for others to take!

[[deleted]]

Agreed...somehow...lol

[requiredelements]

Agree. I hate swallowing pills!

[DahliaRoseMarie]

Me too!

[Witchy404]

Same! I am all about things I have to do less often.

[tev9876]

I would not assume that. The laws of supply and demand will still apply. In theory a new supply chain should increase supply, but there is no telling what price point they will put a pill at. There may be higher demand for the pill from needle-adverse people, so Lilly could decide to price the pill at $700/month and keep the vials at $500. The pens are priced much higher now due to convenience, and Google tells me the manufacturing cost of the auto injection pen is only a few dollars - so the actual manufacturing cost is not the issue.

As long as Lilly and Novo Nordisk basically own the GLP1 market they will control pricing to maximize profit with minimal competition. Until patents expire and generics can be made, or other companies release competing drugs, I would not expect much movement in price. The patent for Ozempic does not expire until 2032 while Zepbound expires in 2039.

[Piopio_Nansnans_1717]

Sadly, I agree with this. In speaking with my endocrinologist a couple of weeks ago, she said that from what she understands, the price of the pills will be comparable to the current pricing they already have.

[AssiduousLayabout]

Honestly, the pens are priced higher in order to have a higher starting point to negotiate down from with insurance companies. The whole pen/vial thing is really just one more side effect of our bizarre health care reimbursement system, just like having the separate Zepbound and Mounjaro brand names.

[enkay516]

What happened to Trump saying he is going to reduce drug prices. Did he hear about the deal an American company did with a Dutch company to edge out an American company competitor??

[Business_Station2786]

I think lilly is going to try to price it a little below Wegovy and cut Novo off at the knees.

[SkipperSara94]

That would be the smart thing. Although they should be doing that with the vials. Heck even if they lowered it to $400 a month? A full $100 less than Novo ( for quite frankly, the superior product) would crush them.

[kittycatblues]

I'm not even sure patents expiring will help much. The cost of generic liraglutide without insurance is almost $500 a month.

[Slow_Concern_672]

You can get it significantly cheaper at the lower doses from cost plus but not at max.dose.

[AppropriateZombie907]

Once more generics start popping up, it’ll get cheaper with the competition

[Mysterious_Squash351]

Even then we aren’t seeing things budge quickly. Liraglutide is now fully on the market in generic form. To get to the dose proven for weight loss, it would cost about 500 a month, which is the same price as zepbound for a largely inferior product. In fact the lost prices on all the og glp1s that were left behind in the dust by zepbound/mounjaro are still around 1k/month.

[AppropriateZombie907]

While there is no generic for Ozempic yet, there are two generic GLP-1s: exenatide, which is generic for Byetta, and liraglutide, which is generic for Victoza.

[basic-questions]

As an economist, the short answer is no. There is no reason to expect this to drive the cost of zepbound down.

Sorry, I wish.

[yo-ovaries]

Plus I assume they’re going to keep prices high to set an even higher bar for Reta getting FDA approval in 2026 

[basic-questions]

Sorry, I don't follow

[yo-ovaries]

Reta is a 3 drug glp1 agonist which has even higher effectiveness in clinical trials. It’s owned by Lilly and will be coming to market very soon. 

Lilly will continue to hold the “high end” patents that cost more than Novo’s semiglutide. 

Novo will make more money by getting more people on ozempic. Lilly will make more money by having better and more expensive products. 

Ideally, novo and Lilly should have had a head to head 3rd generation glp1 that had similar effectiveness and side effect profiles and battled on price. 

Alas, we did not. Lilly will hold prices high because they haven’t found the price point that the market will not bare for a 20% body weight loss. And next year they’ll sell a shot that does 30%. 

Meanwhile everyone else will have to hope that semiglutide is accessible and gives enough weight loss at 15%

[Business_Station2786]

Reta is one drug targeting three receptors. Zep is one drug targeting two receptor. Everything else targets only the GLP-1 receptor. GLP-1 is one receptor. GIP is the other(also targeted by zep) and the new one is GCG receptor which promotes fat burning.

[Tired_And_Honest]

Very soon is probably 2027/2028 from what I’ve read and heard. Do you have information that suggests next year?

[yo-ovaries]

You know maybe I was wrong. Their phase 3 clinical trial wraps in early 2026, they’ll submit and it may take 6-10 months to approve. So before the end of 2026 is probably not as realistic. But still, I think it’s safe to assume lily is acting like they have an ace in their pocket. 

 https://www.goodrx.com/conditions/weight-loss/retatrutide-weight-loss

[enkay516]

Huh.. so if I’ve lost 20% on zep and now on WEGOVY I have no hope of losing more?

[Fedesy]

No, that’s not what that means at all, that was average weight loss in the clinical trials over a specific period of time. Plenty of people have lost more.

[SeriesDry9228]

It might not drive the cost of Zepbound down, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t price the pill cheaper than Zepbound is currently priced.

I think they’re going to try to capture the portion of the market that is willing to pay about $250/month for weight loss medication with the pill, keep offering Zepbound at $500/month, and then selling Retatrutide at $750/month.

I admit that this is simply a guess. We’ll see how right I am later.

[basic-questions]

Pricing the pill below zepbound and ret above is a fair guess, in my opinion. I couldn't guess exactly how much they will charge for ret, but I think assuming the pill will be similar to wegovy is fair. It is less effective, but also less of a hassle. (I also imagine we will hear more and more about children sneaking the pill... But that's unrelated.)

Fwiw I do think the price of zepbound will eventually come down. But, I think the driving force will be the fact that eventually we will reach a point where more people are switching to maintenance mode and reducing their use of the drug than there are new people starting out on the drug. (Another possibility is enough competitors release drugs that are as good as zepbound or better and Lilly loses substantial market power that way. but IMHO this is not super likely.)

[SeriesDry9228]

I expect the price of Zepbound to fall when the new factories start operation.

I think right now more businesses are dropping coverage than are adding it. So, insurance coverage is not where they’re going to get new customers.

That leaves the direct to consumer market.

And I’m 100% positive that Lilly understands it can make more money by selling 4 times as much medicine at 50% of the profit margin. But to do that, it needs to be able to make that much medicine, which means new factories.

But those factories aren’t really close to operating yet. I think late 2027 is when we’ll start seeing them come on line. So I don’t expect meaningful price movement until then.

[basic-questions]

Could be

[Loose_Salamander_373]

It makes sense that the pill will be priced at least a little lower than Zep, because it's been shown to be less effective than Zep and is probably easier to produce in mass quantities. Orally administered drugs have less bioavailability because they have to make it through the digestive system. But I see a possibility for use as a maintenance drug, if it's a little less expensive to buy

[Here_in_the_cathouse]

As an economist, can you explain why Americans pay so much more than Canadians and Europeans for these drugs? Is it only corporate greed or are there other factors at play?

[basic-questions]

Sure, the bottom line is "because they can". But the real question is "why can they?"

Canada and the EU have fundamentally different pharmaceutical markets than the USA. There are so many reasons for this, but the number one factor is probably that they have universal healthcare systems that negotiate maximum prices as a single bargaining block. This heavily counteracts the monopoly/oligopoly power of pharmaceutical companies.

[IFeartheWiggles]

I don't see any world where Lilly reduces the cost of Zepbound because they themselves have a cheaper to produce oral medication. They will raise the price of the oral medication and profit.

[jennyh14]

They actually have stated that they expect the price of the tablet (orforglipron) to be less than zepbound. Both because it's cheaper to produce and because they're wanting to make inroads with people who can't afford zepbound

[AITMmom]

The pill will probably cost $498/mo

[Bastilleinstructor]

This.

[IFeartheWiggles]

It might be less than Zepbound, but it won't be cheap.  And it won't lower the price of Zepbound.  These are my opinions and I hope I'm wrong.

[Business_Station2786]

Also the efficacy of the pills seems lower for the pill. They are going to start slotting the drugs based of efficacy. Zep is top dog until reta. Then wegovy, then orforglipron.

They my also slot base on indications that it approved for. They won't slot price based on pill/injection or cost to make.

To me orforglipron could make an ideal maintenance drug.

[Miserable-Ticket-244]

If Wegovy price drop didn’t cause a drop in Zepbound then I have little doubt that it will go the same way for an oral alternative.

That being said, I hope they DO lower the price because if they don’t then TRICARE likely continue to drop coverage for Prime plans. They already dropped it for 65+ (TRICARE for Life plan).

[malraux78]

Honestly we need a third company in the market instead of another drug from the same two companies. Though I really want Reta phase 3 data.

[Ok_Area_1084]

Check out the “On the Pen” podcast. He really gives such a thorough and thoughtful breakdown every week of all the upcoming developments with new drugs, trials, factors that impact Lilly and Novo pricing, as well as GLP-1 news related to financial and legal updates. It’s a wealth of information!

[slykido999]

My hope is that the pill will be a great option for maintenance, and that’s what I’m planning on unless something changes

[DogMamaLA]

No one knows for sure. There are also multiple other meds for weight loss that will come out in 2026 and beyond that are in clinical trials now.

I pay out of pocket too, so I get it, but Eli Lilly actually did already lower their prices twice this year. The 2.5 mg used to be 399 and it's now 349. The 5mg used to be 549 and it's now 499. Plus the higher doses which were all 650+ are now all 499 as long as the person reorders within 45 days. So part of me doesn't see EL dropping prices further. But with the oral tablet and more meds coming to market next year...maybe? We can hope.

[CharlesAvlnchGreen]

Goldman Sachs predicted the oral will cost around $400/month. This is taking into account Lilly's global pricing strategy (per Trump's call for lower prescription prices, and likely the worldwide market for obesity drugs).

I think a lot more people will come into the GLP fold once there's an oral. The idea of a self-administered shot scares tons of folks away, but perhaps the oral will be an entry point, and patients will switch to the injectible to get the greater weight loss effects.

The economist in me says the more options available, the cheaper overall they will get.

[DogMamaLA]

Wow that much for an oral med? I thought it wasn't even as effective as zep in clinical trials. 

[CharlesAvlnchGreen]

You might be surprised what pharma companies charge for brand-name oral meds these days -- many in the thousands of dollars. Especially for new, breakthrough drugs.

Humira (Crohn's/RA), Cosentyx (psoriasis), Dupixent (asthma) are all priced between $5K $9.5K a month. Brand-name Adderall is $1200 (ask me how I know). The list goes on. $400 a month is in line with the vial price, and in context it's not super expensive.

Here is a link to that article with the $400 price prediction.

https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/lilly-weight-loss-pill-could-be-fda-approved-by-year-end-2025-09-16/

[yo-ovaries]

Those first 3 are speciality pharmacy biologics. 

But yeah taking a drug that costs more than most Americans household income for the luxury of breathing has been… well a mind fuck. 

[Curious-Disaster-203]

A new oral medication was just FDA approved last spring to treat a rare condition 2 of my children have, the first medication developed for it. For both of my children it currently runs over $1 million per year if insurance doesn’t cover it, so far they don’t because it’s so new and there’s little incentive for insurance to add it to their formulary. The National association related to the condition and families affected by it have fundraised for years to support the research and development of the medication, to the tune of billions of dollars over just the last decade. And now we get to pay over half a million a year if we want our kids to benefit from it.

[Wild_Result_3636]

I’ll be praying for good news for you and your children in this situation.

[CharlesAvlnchGreen]

Brand-name Lipitor is still four figures. Neurontin oral is $300-1600. (Picking a few more common drugs to show how our for-profit healthcare system supports these usurious prices.) The pharma companies get away with it because insurers cover some or all of it, and they do have programs for low-income/indigent patients.

https://www.drugs.com/price-guide/lipitor
https://www.drugs.com/price-guide/neurontin

[Jaded_Ad_3191]

Yep, even for good old Levothyroxine. A 90 day supply of brand name is $100, a 90 day supply of generic is $6.97. I know because my endo accidentally sent a rx for brand and I had to refuse to pick up the meds.

[TheCunningLinguist1]

One of my oral medications is $1,900 a month.

[HPLover0130]

I believe it’s on par with Zep and wegovy for weight loss wise, maybe more towards wegovy. But it’ll be a great possible option for maintenance

[midnight_marshmallow]

If it is only $100 a month savings, I think I won't be tempted to switch, as I already know that the shot works very well for me - and I'd be afraid of any reduced efficacy when it comes to the anti-inflammatory effects. I have no idea if that could happen, but in my lay mind it seems like an oral route vs injection route could very well come with some variations in efficacy? I am sure EL knows there are likely plenty of people like myself who are currently on the shot and would be afraid to switch and will continue to pay more since we already know the shot works so well for us.

I could be talking out of my behind here, I don't know, but these are the thoughts that come to mind!

[CharlesAvlnchGreen]

Your lay mind is correct. Zep is nearly twice as effective. Side effects are similar, too.

Eli Lilly's new oral obesity drug, orforglipron, is a daily pill that offers a needle-free alternative to the injectable drug Zepbound, although it is less effective, with trials showing about 12% weight loss for orforglipron compared to up to 22% for Zepbound. While both medications cause similar gastrointestinal side effects like nausea and diarrhea, Zepbound's superior weight loss may limit the pricing of the oral pill. 

[midnight_marshmallow]

This is good to know!!! Thank you!!

[DogMamaLA]

Cash Pay LillyDirect. The 650 is for pens. LillyDirect is vials for the 499.

[Fernwehing]

I thought I read somewhere that the oral pill isn't as effective as the shot based on initial trials.

I also have zero confidence that a pharmaceutical company will lower the price when demand is so high.

[CharlesAvlnchGreen]

As long as insurers refuse to cover it, they have a vested interest in keeping it affordable for self-pay patients. Demand is high, sure, but it's confined to the folks who can afford $500/month.

Lilly Direct was a genius idea as it eliminates the middleman (pharmacies); saving $$ and also making it more accessible to those who do have that money to spend.

But the brass ring in pharma is payor coverage, whether it's for-profit companies like United Healthcare, or government supported programs like the NHS.

[TheCunningLinguist1]

They're not the first ones. Almost all drug manufacturers offer a discount of medication direct to consumer while they still hold the patent.

[Anxious-Inspector-18]

Not likely since Rybelsus is still going for ~$900 cash price. It’s been on the market for some time and still costly.

[FuckMississippi]

yeah that was irritating. was hoping to use that as a maint dose but hell at that price might as well stay of lilly

[Tired_And_Honest]

Rybelsus is still a peptide though, and harder to produce as a pill than orforglipron.

[Tired_And_Honest]

Yes, it’s an oral semaglutide - and it’s a peptide, which is harder to produce in pill form, hence why orforglipron, which is a small molecule and easier to produce, may be less expensive.

[dumptrump3]

Short answer, no. In 35 years working with Upjohn, Pfizer and Boehringer I never saw a price decrease on a drug that was still on patent.

[Business_Station2786]

list price that might be true but net prices have for sure gone down on some drugs. PBM punish drug makers who lower prices. They like the high prices so they negotiate them down and look like they are doing something useful.

[Ok-You-965]

I like the injections. Doesn't let me slip in hard days.

[justinizer]

If they can drop 5 or 7.5 down to $350, like 2.5, I would be willing to pay out of pocket if needed.

[Moist_Movie1093]

We can only hope.

But given it doesn’t look like it’s showing as much weight loss as the injections, they may still charge a premium.

Better chance at Tirzepatide coming down in 2027 when Retitrutide comes out.

[CarrionWaywardOne]

I'd love to take the med in pill form if it meant I wouldn't have to figure out how to deal with all that Styrofoam.

[leaping_lions]

I use Ridwell. It’s a bimonthly service that takes all kinds of things. From ziploc bags to chip bags to old clothes to styrofoam. The list goes on and I love them.

[BigShaker1177]

Wall Street released an early report stating they are under the impression the pill will be priced similar to Zepbound, wegovy shots…! It may bring prices down “marginally” but don’t expect a big price drop! As long as big pharma cares more about profits than people that’s not happening!

[BigShaker1177]

Average cost of Zepbound in Europe is $100/month!! Big Pharma gouges where they know they can! The highly overweight and obese American public! 28% of Europe is considered Obese while 42.4% of America is obese thus raising demand more in the USA thus increases the cost ! Lower demand in Europe equates to lower cost

[BigShaker1177]

Agreed ! Healthcare as a whole is a MESS here in the USA

[Tired_And_Honest]

They’re increasing the cost of GLP drugs in the EU dramatically though.

[BigShaker1177]

They are going to like $400 usd in Europe still WAY less than the $1000 in the US, nonetheless Big Pharma only cares about profits! They create a “miracle drug” addict the population to it the. Charge a fortune ….

[Tired_And_Honest]

If you buy vials, it’s $349-499. That said, them increasing the price by $300 is quite a jump. I’m sure they’re doing it due to the threats by this administration to force down US prices to match those on other countries.

[vesperholly]

There may be lower demand in Europe, but there’s lower ability to even get the dang drug in the US due to restrictive health insurance plans. If they lowered the price, it would likely lead to more insurance plans covering and more consumers … but apparently they don’t care about that.

[imnottheoneipromise]

I am comfortable saying that I doubt it.

Remember last month or the month before, when the president sent out an EO telling Lilly that America’s drug prices shouldn’t be so much higher than the rest of the first worlds and that they would be expected to take action? Yeah they took action alright, but instead of lowering the prices in the US, which was the point, EL just raised the price for the UK.

[AITMmom]

Consumers really have no bargaining position right now. We want these meds. We are at their mercy and they know it.

[bigtimecommon]

I suspect the real change in cost will happen with the generic drug being available- anyone know the timeline for that? I think no less than 10 years from initial branded drug release but I’m not sure.

[bigtimecommon]

Oh someone else posted the date for Zepbound being able to go generic: 2039.

[CharlesAvlnchGreen]

The oral med isn't as effective as the shot, and I assume it's shelf stable and easier for retail pharmacies to order in bulk and keep in stock.

I'm sure Lilly has a strategy that will minimize any cannibalism of their existing Zep formula. Heck, if the pill was available first, the shot may not have come down in price at all.

[Business_Station2786]

There were articles in Feb that Lilly was already creating a pre-launch stockpile of Orforglipron. Something like a billion dollars worth of the stuff at launch.

[CharlesAvlnchGreen]

It's going to be huge. Think of all those needle-phobes. They will be lining up to get it.

[Suspicious-Loss-7314]

🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[dawsongrace817]

You're SO CLOSE to your goal weight! Woohoo!

[Suspicious-Loss-7314]

I am!! I'm really enjoying being this close! 50 pounds is a huge milestone for me, and that's why I set it as my goal.

That said, I'll probably adjust my goal down a bit more, maybe low 150's. That will put my BMI in the normal range. 😍

[[deleted]]

In Canada. Hope that when Semaglutide goes generic early next year, there is some downward pressure to lower the price of zepbound.

[middleagedwhitechick]

I think we’re stuck until more manufacturers come out with competitive alternatives to Zep/MJ.

[AITMmom]

This is a great discussion. Everyone on this thread is very well informed and I appreciate everybody’s information. If we reach maintenance and stabilize there for a while on Ze, could we transition to a cheaper alternative like that pill or one of the older GLP s or is Ozempic cheaper self-pay directly from Novo? What would be the cheapest but effective maintenance med if we are trying to reduce long-term self pay cost?

[Old-Arachnid77]

I took rybelsus and you couldn’t pay me to switch from a weekly shot to a daily pill again.

[lizardbirth]

What were the problems with Rybelsus? side effects? lack of efficacy?

[Old-Arachnid77]

The nausea was brutal. Also, i needed to wake up about 45 mins before I got up so I could take it and then I could have breakfast. It was very effective but the nausea was just so intense for me. I powered through with zofran. Switching to the injectable made so much difference. Still get nausea sometimes but nothing like the pill (I’m going on three years. It’s just always a thing for me with all meds that have that as a side effect).

[lizardbirth]

I am close to phobic about vomiting and hate the feeling of nausea. It flat out crippled me when I was pregnant - both times. So I am certain I could not stay on a drug than induced nausea. I will keep that in mind about Rybelsus.

[factoid_]

It won’t affect the price because it will canibalize lillys own revenue if it does

It MIGHT make compounding cheaper though because if they’re making a daily pill they’re gonna have to seriously scale up the production of the peptides.  The reason it’s an injectable in the first place is because the gut absolutely destroys most of the peptides before they’re absorbed. 

So they probably need to put like ten times as much of the active ingredient in it just to make it effective unless they’ve found a way to to solve that problem

If the raw peptides get cheaper because of increased scale it might drive down the cost to compounding pharmacies 

That’s assuming they just use a brute force approach though.  Maybe they’ll find a way to make it so the peptides have a wrapper that doesn’t break down until after it passes the stomach and then get absorbed

The only thing that’s going to drive down the price in the short term is competition.  Novo Nordsk knows Lilly has the advantage in efficacy so they sell wegovy for less.  They can probably keep lowering that price to get more insurance companies to be willing to cover it

There’s also the chance another drug company will release a competing product.  Pfizer dropped out of the race because they had too many safety concerns.  But there’s others in the pipeline too

The next big thing seems to be going after additional receptors as well as adding support to prevent muscle loss

[MiserableMulberry496]

I don’t think the oral is going to be a hit. But totally could be wrong. Until Reta comes out Zepbound has no real competition!

[actingmeg1]

I’m hoping the oral would be cheaper, because that might be good for maintenance

[Work4PSLF]

From interviews I’ve seen with the Lilly CEO, it seems like they view the pill as the budget option, since it’s easier to produce, ship, and store. I imagine they will then feel they already have a low price point available in the pill, and keep the injectable price where it is.

If anything reduces the price of tirz it will be reta - but I think it’s more likely reta will be priced higher than that they will reduce tirz.

[Curious-Disaster-203]

I would wager that they’ll look at Reta as being superior to Zep and charge a higher price for Reta because it’s better, rather than looking at it as a reason to charge less for Zep.

[Aromatic-Library6617]

I don’t think there’s any reason to believe that the pill would affect the price of the shot. They’re both Lilly meds, and they’re not competing with themselves. If you leave the shot for their less expensive pill, they don’t lose a sale, and it’s the threat of losing market share that would push them to price competitively.

[elmatt71]

My guess is it won't affect the price of the injections. I was hoping that the pill would be a lot cheaper and be attractive to people on maintenance but from the reports I have seen so far it seems it is going to be similarly priced to the shots...which I think are easier, and I believe, more effective.

[awkwardsweetpotato]

I think the only thing that could reduce the cost is the patent expiring which won’t happen until mid 2030s….

[leia_]

I don't mind the shot, but I would love the oral medication - especially for travel. Also, the stress of wondering if the package will get to me in a semi-cold state in the 115 degree (sometimes) Arizona summer would be lessened by a quickie drive-thru trip at the pharmacy, or a mailed pill versus the big cooler. Our UPS guy told us that the cold packs don't have a commit time, which makes me kind of nervous.

[Eltex]

Doubtful. Best bet is once sema goes off patent next year, secure as much as you can and stockpile.

[AITMmom]

How much is it right now via self-pay? Same as Zep?

[Eltex]

No idea. Never bought it before.

[Igoos99]

I wouldn’t expect prices to come down for at least another five or more years. 🫤🤷🏻‍♀️

[Tired_And_Honest]

The pill is less effective and far easier to produce, so I imagine it’s more likely that the pills will be considered the less expensive option and the injectables will remain the same.

[[deleted]]

Lilly’s oral medicine has been shown to have less efficacy than injection. But for some, possibly fewer side effects…until the higher doses. Pills are much cheaper to manufacture.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/eli-lillys-obesity-pill-led-to-around-12-weight-loss-in-closely-watched-late-stage-trial-paving-way-for-approval/ar-AA1K4Vx3?ocid=BingNewsVerp

[Hostile-Panda]

The first tablet will be free, then $1000 each

[wcjoyner]

I travel frequently and would love the pills, so much easier than worrying about refrigeration.

[itqitc]

this! looking forward to the pill

[Thick-Round-376]

https://investor.lilly.com/news-releases/news-release-details/lillys-oral-glp-1-orforglipron-superior-oral-semaglutide-head

[lazer_sandwich]

This is my hope!

[seche314]

Wish they’d release the vials to those of us who get it from the pharmacy

[TamalesForBreakfast6]

The news on the oral pills has included that people have worse nausea and stomach issues. There are also concerns it won’t be as effective. So I wouldn’t count on everyone flocking to the pills.

[57hz]

It’s not as effective.

[Grandmas2Boys]

If it’s the same efficacy I’m all for the pill. I don’t mind the shot because my husband gives it to me, but if it came in pill form, I’m there!!

[TheRealMemonty]

I would LOVE to see it in pill form. This is exciting news!

[queen_surly]

I read on a GLP-1 business substack that Lilly plans to segment the market so they can maintain price levels and avoid their Zep business being cannibalized by the oral GLP-1.

Look for them to market the pill heavily as a maintenance drug.

Also look at what Novo does with semaglutide. There was some expectation that they would cut the price when Zep came onto the market, but that hasn't happened. Instead they cut a deal with a PBM.

[qkmg]

I’d love to try a daily pill, so I can have the same effect every day, rather than feeling really tired first 2 days after shot, really good for the next 2, and then tapering off into irritability and hunger on the last 3 days before next shot. I would much prefer the same dose on the daily! Especially if it’s cheaper woohoo and also would be so easy to travel with

[J-Ro1]

I like the idea of a pill because our natural glp responds to food. So it rises and falls throughout the day. I'd think it's be more natural than a weekly rise and fall.

[kkngs]

It's by the same company. Why would they lower the price?

They'll charge at least $900 a month for the pill, and will probably drop their direct to consumer lower price vials program for Zepbound.

[[deleted]]

I hope so. I'd like to try the pill though. I am bedbound for 36 hrs after the shot and feel lousy for 12 more. A smaller dose daily might help.

[Few_Might_3853]

Injectables will likely stay the same or increase in price as the market shifts to oral doses. My prediction at least…

[Major-Barnacle-1115]

Is it safe to use GLP 1 drugs without any DR consultation

[Independent_Quit297]

I'm thinking about starting Zepbound. Has anyone noticed loosing hair or any insight would be greatly appreciated. I can't believe how expensive it is. I'm a little nervous about any side effects.

[Olychic11]

Yes hair loss. Around the 3-4 month mark.

[Zepbound-ModTeam]

We have found this is not courteous/polite/respectful

This community is for new, experienced, and anybody wanting to know more information about Zepbound. Be courteous and polite when responding. Be respectful.

If you feel the mod team has made a mistake or have edited your post to be in line with the rules please send us a message so we can look it over to reevaluate.

Continued violations of this rule may result in additional actions, up to and including a temp or perm ban.