On November 8, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Zepbound™ (tirzepatide) injection for chronic weight management in adults. Tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Zepbound™, is already approved under the trade name Mounjaro™ to be used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. In clinical trials, patients that received the highest dose of Zepbound™ experienced an average weight loss of 20.9%. Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy® (semaglutide) was studied in a similar population and patients experienced an average weight loss of 14.9% at the recommended maintenance dose. Lilly has announced that Zepbound™ will be available in the United States by the end of 2023 with an estimated annual cost of $13,778, which is approximately 20% less than the annual WAC of Wegovy®. People who are commercially insured without coverage for Zepbound™ may be eligible to pay as low as $550 for a 1-month prescription of Zepbound™, approximately 50% lower than the list price, a similar savings program for Wegovy® lowers out-of-pocket cost for patients without coverage to approximately $1,119.
