Dec 5 (Reuters) - Eli Lilly (LLY.N) on Tuesday said its recently approved obesity treatment Zepbound is now available in U.S. pharmacies and could cost $550 a month for customers whose health insurance does not cover the drug, or half the list price.
Wall Street analysts expect sales of Zepbound to reach about $2 billion in 2024, and for sales of Novo Nordisk's (NOVOb.CO) rival obesity drug Wegovy to hit around $7.5 billion.
An Eli Lilly and Company pharmaceutical manufacturing plant is pictured at 50 ImClone Drive in Branchburg, New Jersey, March 5, 2021.
When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Zepbound in November, Lilly said it would launch after the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday.
Lilly's obesity drug has the same active ingredient, tirzepatide, as its previously approved diabetes drug Mounjaro, which has been used off-label for weight loss since its 2022 launch.
Persons:
Eli Lilly, Wegovy, danuglipron, Zepbound, Lilly, Mike Segar, Eli Lilly's, Patrick Wingrove, Manas Mishra, Khushi, Arun Koyyur, Alexander Smith, Bill Berkrot
Organizations:
Wall Street, Novo, Pfizer, Company, REUTERS, CVS, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, U.S, Thomson
Locations:
U.S, Branchburg , New Jersey, Indianapolis, New York, Bengaluru