03/13/2026 | Press release | Archived content
Today, Eli Lilly and Company announced that access to self-pay pricing on the new Zepbound® (tirzepatide) KwikPen® for single-patient use will be available at LillyDirect® and major pharmacies nationwide, starting at $299 per month for the 2.5 mg dose. This expansion provides people without obesity management medicine insurance coverage with additional ways to access prescribed treatment, whether that's picking up a prescription as part of their everyday routine at a local pharmacy, or choosing home delivery through LillyDirect.
The new KwikPen Self-Pay Savings Card, found on zepbound.lilly.com/savings, is available to all patients, including those without insurance coverage. Adults with a valid, on-label prescription for Zepbound KwikPen can use the savings card to access the same self-pay prices offered through LillyDirect. To understand your coverage options, visit zepbound.lilly.com/savings.
The card applies only to the Zepbound KwikPen and does not apply to single-dose vials or the single-dose pen.
Zepbound is an injectable prescription medicine that may help adults with obesity, or some adults with overweight who also have weight-related medical problems, to lose excess body weight and keep the weight off. Zepbound may also help adults with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and obesity to improve their OSA. It should be used with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. Zepbound contains tirzepatide and should not be used with other tirzepatide-containing products or any GLP-1 receptor agonist medicines. It is not known if Zepbound is safe and effective for use in children. Please see Indications and Safety Summary with Warnings below.
Zepbound is available in 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg, or 15 mg doses. The 2.5 mg is a starting dose and not an approved maintenance dose. The recommended maintenance doses are 5 mg, 10 mg, or 15 mg injected subcutaneously once per week for weight reduction and long-term maintenance. The recommended maintenance doses for OSA are 10 mg or 15 mg.
About Zepbound (tirzepatide) injection
Zepbound is the first and only dual GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) and GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) receptor agonist obesity medication. Zepbound tackles an underlying cause of excess weight. It reduces appetite and how much you eat. Zepbound is indicated for adults with obesity, or some adults who are overweight and also have at least one weight-related medical problem, to lose weight and keep it off. Additionally, Zepbound is FDA-approved to treat adults with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea and obesity. Zepbound should be used with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. Zepbound contains tirzepatide and should not be used with other tirzepatide-containing products or any GLP-1 receptor agonist medicines. It is not known if Zepbound is safe and effective for use in children.
About LillyDirect
LillyDirect is a digital health platform designed to connect people living with chronic conditions to the care, support, and prescribed medicines they need. The platform brings together disease specific resources, access to independent healthcare providers, and convenient pharmacy services to help patients navigate their care. Prescription fulfillment through LillyDirect is open to all U.S. healthcare providers licensed to prescribe Lilly medicines and is listed as a pharmacy option in all major electronic health records (EHR) systems. To learn more about LillyDirect, please visit: LillyDirect.lilly.com.
INDICATIONS AND SAFETY SUMMARY WITH WARNINGS
Zepbound® (ZEHP-bownd) is an injectable prescription medicine used with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity to help adults with:
Zepbound contains tirzepatide and should not be used with other tirzepatide-containing products or any GLP-1 receptor agonist medicines. It is not known if Zepbound is safe and effective for use in children.
Warnings - Zepbound may cause tumors in the thyroid, including thyroid cancer. Watch for possible symptoms, such as a lump or swelling in the neck, hoarseness, trouble swallowing, or shortness of breath. If you have any of these symptoms, tell your healthcare provider.
KwikPen®: Do not share your KwikPen with other people, even if the pen needle has been changed. You may give other people a serious infection or get a serious infection from them.
Zepbound may cause serious side effects, including:
Severe stomach problems. Stomach problems, sometimes severe, have been reported in people who use Zepbound. Tell your healthcare provider if you have stomach problems that are severe or will not go away.
Dehydration leading to kidney problems. Diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting may cause a loss of fluids (dehydration), which may cause kidney problems. It is important for you to drink fluids to help reduce your chance of dehydration. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea that does not go away.
Gallbladder problems. Gallbladder problems have happened in some people who use Zepbound. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get symptoms of gallbladder problems, which may include pain in your upper stomach (abdomen), fever, yellowing of skin or eyes (jaundice), or clay-colored stools.
Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis). Stop using Zepbound and call your healthcare provider right away if you have severe pain in your stomach area (abdomen) that will not go away, with or without nausea or vomiting. You may feel the pain from your abdomen to your back.
Serious allergic reactions. Stop using Zepbound and get medical help right away if you have any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including swelling of your face, lips, tongue or throat, problems breathing or swallowing, severe rash or itching, fainting or feeling dizzy, or very rapid heartbeat.
Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Your risk for getting low blood sugar may be higher if you use Zepbound with medicines that can cause low blood sugar, such as a sulfonylurea or insulin. Signs and symptoms of low blood sugar may include dizziness or light-headedness, sweating, confusion or drowsiness, headache, blurred vision, slurred speech, shakiness, fast heartbeat, anxiety, irritability, mood changes, hunger, weakness or feeling jittery.
Changes in vision in patients with type 2 diabetes. Tell your healthcare provider if you have changes in vision during treatment with Zepbound.
Food or liquid getting into the lungs during surgery or other procedures that use anesthesia or deep sleepiness (deep sedation). Zepbound may increase the chance of food getting into your lungs during surgery or other procedures. Tell all your healthcare providers that you are taking Zepbound before you are scheduled to have surgery or other procedures.
Common side effects
The most common side effects of Zepbound include nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, stomach (abdominal) pain, indigestion, injection site reactions, feeling tired, allergic reactions, belching, hair loss, and heartburn. These are not all the possible side effects of Zepbound. Talk to your healthcare provider about any side effect that bothers you or doesn't go away.
Tell your doctor if you have any side effects. You can report side effects at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.
Before using Zepbound
Review these questions with your healthcare provider:
❑ Do you have other medical conditions, including problems with your pancreas, or severe problems with your stomach, such as slowed emptying of your stomach (gastroparesis) or problems digesting food?
❑ Do you take diabetes medicines, such as insulin or sulfonylureas?
❑ Do you have a history of diabetic retinopathy?
❑ Are you scheduled to have surgery or other procedures that use anesthesia or deep sleepiness (deep sedation)?
❑ Do you take any other prescription medicines or over-the-counter drugs, vitamins, or herbal supplements?
❑ Are you pregnant, plan to become pregnant, breastfeeding, or plan to breastfeed? Zepbound may harm your unborn baby. Tell your healthcare provider if you become pregnant while using Zepbound. Zepbound may pass into your breast milk. You should talk with your healthcare provider about the best way to feed your baby while using Zepbound.
How to take
If you take too much Zepbound, call your healthcare provider, call the Poison Help line at 1-800-222-1222 or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away.
Zepbound is approved as a 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg, and 15 mg injection.
Learn more
Zepbound is a prescription medicine. For more information, call 1-800-LillyRx (1-800-545-5979) or go to www.zepbound.lilly.com.
This summary provides basic information about Zepbound but does not include all information known about this medicine. Read the information that comes with your prescription each time your prescription is filled. This information does not take the place of talking with your healthcare provider. Be sure to talk to your healthcare provider about Zepbound and how to take it. Your healthcare provider is the best person to help you decide if Zepbound is right for you.
ZP CON BS 25FEB2026
Zepbound®, its delivery device base and KwikPen® are registered trademarks owned or licensed by Eli Lilly and Company, its subsidiaries, or affiliates.
About Lilly
Lilly is a medicine company turning science into healing to make life better for people around the world. We've been pioneering life-changing discoveries for nearly 150 years, and today our medicines help tens of millions of people across the globe. Harnessing the power of biotechnology, chemistry and genetic medicine, our scientists are urgently advancing new discoveries to solve some of the world's most significant health challenges: redefining diabetes care; treating obesity and curtailing its most devastating long-term effects; advancing the fight against Alzheimer's disease; providing solutions to some of the most debilitating immune system disorders; and transforming the most difficult-to-treat cancers into manageable diseases. With each step toward a healthier world, we're motivated by one thing: making life better for millions more people. That includes delivering innovative clinical trials that reflect the diversity of our world and working to ensure our medicines are accessible and affordable. To learn more, visit Lilly.com and Lilly.com/news, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. P-LLY
Trademarks and Trade Names
All trademarks or trade names referred to in this press release are the property of the company, or, to the extent trademarks or trade names belonging to other companies are references in this press release, the property of their respective owners. Solely for convenience, the trademarks and trade names in this press release are referred to without the ® and ™ symbols, but such references should not be construed as any indicator that the company or, to the extent applicable, their respective owners will not assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, the company's or their rights thereto. We do not intend the use or display of other companies' trademarks and trade names to imply a relationship with, or endorsement or sponsorship of us by, any other companies.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements (as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995), including statements about the supply and access of Zepbound (tirzepatide) as a treatment for adults with obesity or overweight and reflects Lilly's current belief and expectations. However, as with any pharmaceutical product, there are substantial risks and uncertainties in the process of drug research, development, and commercialization. Among other things, there can be no guarantee that future study results will be consistent with the results to date, that Zepbound will receive additional regulatory approvals, or that Lilly will execute its strategy as planned. For further discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, see Lilly's most recent Form 10-K and Form 10-Q filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by law, Lilly undertakes no duty to update forward-looking statements to reflect events after the date of this release.
CMAT-18553 03/2026 ©Lilly USA, LLC 2026. All rights reserved.
# # #