Lilly weight-loss drug Zepbound gets US, UK approval to rival Wegovy
By Patrick Wingrove and Bhanvi Satija
(Reuters) -U.S. and UK regulators both gave the thumbs up to Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY)'s weight-loss treatment called Zepbound on Wednesday, paving the way for a powerful new rival to Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO)'s Wegovy in addressing record obesity rates.
The two drugs are the most effective treatments for weight loss approved to date and will compete in a global market estimated to be worth $100 billion by the end of the decade.
Novo's drugs have helped patients lose significant amounts of weight and altered the landscape for sellers of sugary foods and beverages, as well as healthcare providers with products used to manage obesity-related conditions like diabetes and sleep apnea and makers of devices used for bariatric weight-loss surgeries.
Drugmakers have also been criticized for the high cost of the medicines that make it unaffordable for many who suffer from obesity.
Lilly's drug tirzepatide has been available as Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes since 2022 and had increasingly been used «off-label» for weight loss while the obesity approval was pending. It will be on U.S. shelves under the brand name Zepbound later this month, and in the U.K. «sooner rather than later,» the company said.
Zepbound will list at $1,059.87 a month, according to Lilly. That compares with a list of $1,349 per-package for Novo Nordisk's wildly popular weight-loss drug Wegovy. Novo has had to limit the number of patients who can get the treatment due to supply constraints.
Morningstar analyst Damien Conover said despite the lower list price than Wegovy, what really matters is the after-discount net prices negotiated by pharmacy benefit managers.
Wegovy's net price is between $700 to $900 per month, according to
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