In this article, direct-to-consumer health-care startup Ro announced a new partnership with Eli Lilly to offer more affordable single-dose vials of the weight loss drug Zepbound through its platform. The collaboration aims to simplify access to this popular treatment. Ro will provide a comprehensive experience on a single platform and app, enabling eligible patients to receive a diagnosis, a prescription for Zepbound, and have the drug vials delivered to their homes. This integration is made possible through a partnership with Eli Lilly’s direct-to-consumer website, LillyDirect, which already offers home delivery of Zepbound vials through a third-party digital pharmacy called Gifthealth.
Patients who receive Zepbound prescriptions through a provider affiliated with Ro will have the vials dispensed by Gifthealth. Zepbound vials are a cash-pay product available exclusively through LillyDirect, allowing patients to purchase them at a lower cost compared to the autoinjector form of the drug. Ro states that the vials offer the most affordable price of a branded GLP-1 drug before insurance. GLP-1s are medications that mimic gut hormones to suppress appetite and regulate blood sugar, and their demand has surged in recent years.
Ro’s co-founder and CEO, Zachariah Reitano, highlighted that the integration with LillyDirect streamlines the patient experience by providing access to doctors, labs, and a pharmacy in one place for Zepbound vials. While Ro currently prescribes Zepbound in an autoinjector pen, the vials offer a more cost-effective alternative. The 2.5-milligram and 5-milligram single-dose vials of Zepbound are priced at $399 and $549 per month before insurance, respectively, making them more accessible to patients without insurance coverage for the drug.
Reitano emphasized that Ro aims to assist eligible patients in determining the most suitable form of the drug based on their insurance coverage. The availability of expensive treatments like Zepbound has caused shortages in the U.S., but efforts by Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk have helped alleviate this issue. Cheaper compounded versions of GLP-1s have gained popularity due to limited supply, prompting Eli Lilly to expand access to branded Zepbound to address the use of compounded versions.
Eli Lilly’s president of cardiometabolic health, Patrik Jonsson, stated that the partnership with Ro aims to provide patients with safe and effective options. The FDA is reviewing the decision to remove Zepbound from its drug shortages list following a lawsuit from a trade association representing compounding pharmacies. Reitano affirmed that Ro will comply with FDA regulations and advocate for patient access to effective and affordable products.
