Lilly’s Direct-to-Consumer GLP-1 Service Likely Doesn’t Threaten PBMs

Eli Lilly & Co. will sell its glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) weight loss drugs directly to consumers through a telehealth service called LillyDirect, the drugmaker revealed on Jan. 4. Pharmacy benefit experts say that the move is sure to improve market access for Lilly’s weight loss drugs, but they also say that the impact of the new service on PBMs is likely to be minimal.

LillyDirect will contract with “independent healthcare providers,” per a press release, to prescribe the GLP-1 tirzepatide, known by the brand names Mounjaro () and Zepbound. Weight loss-focused telehealth provider Form Health Inc. will be one of those partners, NBC News reported. LillyDirect will also provide “tailored support” from unnamed providers. The service will also feature free “direct home delivery…through third-party pharmacy dispensing services.”

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Peter Johnson

Peter Johnson

Peter has worked as a journalist since 2011 and has covered health care since 2020. At AIS Health, Peter covers trends in finance, business and policy that affect the health insurance and pharma sectors. For Health Plan Weekly, he covers all aspects of the U.S. health insurance sector, including employer-sponsored insurance, Medicaid managed care, Medicare Advantage and the Affordable Care Act individual marketplaces. In Radar on Drug Benefits, Peter covers the operations of (and conflicts between) pharmacy benefit managers and pharmaceutical manufacturers, with a particular focus on pricing dynamics and market access. Before joining AIS Health, Peter covered transportation, public safety and local government for various outlets in Seattle, his hometown and current place of residence. He graduated with a B.A. from Colby College.

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