A major drug manufacturer is stepping up efforts to make its new weight-loss drug more accessible to potential users. Eli Lilly recently launched LillyDirect, a direct-to-consumer platform that connects obese patients to telehealth doctors who can prescribe the GLP-1 medication Zepbound. No price discounts will be offered, though the company says qualified patients will have access to “affordability solutions and savings card opportunities.”
Experts have expressed skepticism about whether people using the service would be made aware of other weight loss options. “I just find it a bit disingenuous to think that people are just going to get this totally neutral, balanced care,” Andrew Krafston, MD, an obesity medicine specialist and endocrinologist at Michigan Medicine, told The New York Times.
In response, Eli Lilly said doctors “are not incentivized by Lilly to promote Lilly products” and that the service is not available for cosmetic weight loss.
As we’ve stated previously, MedBen is not currently recommending that clients cover the cost of obesity drugs. But we also would caution against it for any individual who may consider the direct-to-consumer option, for the simple reason (beyond the high price tag) that so many unknowns still exist for GLP-1 medications.
Over 10,000 claims have been filed against Eli Lilly and fellow drugmaker Novo Nordisk for severe stomach complications, including gastroenteritis and gastroparesis, a condition resulting in a “paralyzed stomach.” Other claimants cite vomiting, fever, headaches and chronic dehydration.