Eli Lilly has entered into an agreement with the US government aimed at reducing costs and improving access to its medicines for US patients, including its obesity portfolio.
From April 2026, patients enrolled in Medicare will pay no more than US$50 per month for Zepbound (tirzepatide), available as a multidose pen, and orforglipron, available as a once-daily pill – contingent on both products receiving approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Where applicable, the medicines will also be made available through Medicaid.
Following FDA approval, the products will additionally be offered through LillyDirect, the company’s self-pay direct-to-patient (DtP) platform. A multidose formulation of Zepbound will be priced at US$299, rising to US$449 for higher-dose regimens – a level that Lilly said reflects price parity with European markets.
Other medicines – including Emgality, Trulicity and Mounjaro – will also be added to LillyDirect, with discounts of 50-60% off current list prices.
The agreement builds on a previous collaboration between Lilly and the US government that involved a pilot programme capping out-of-pocket insulin payments at $35 per month. That cap will remain in place under the new arrangement.
“As we expand access to obesity treatments for more Americans and advance one of the most innovative obesity pipelines, we remain focused on improving outcomes, strengthening the US healthcare system and contributing to the health of our nation for generations to come,” said David A Ricks, Lilly chair and CEO. “This agreement adds to our established commitment to affordability – from being the first company to cap insulin prices at $35 to launching LillyDirect, the end-to-end digital healthcare experience.”
As part of the new agreement, Lilly will receive a three-year exemption from recently introduced pharmaceutical tariffs and will not be subject to future federal pricing mandates during that period.