Eli Lilly has launched LillyDirect, a novel service that provides US patients with direct access to some of its key prescription drugs for diabetes, migraine and obesity. The service also offers disease management resources, such as independent healthcare providers, tailored support, and direct home delivery of select Lilly medicines through third-party pharmacy dispensing services.
The service has generated a lot of interest, especially for its obesity indication. This comes just a month after the company’s GLP-1 agonist Zepbound (tirzepatide) hit the US market, and at a time when drug pricing, PBMs, and the anti-obesity medication (AOM) market are hot topics.
David Ricks, the CEO of Eli Lilly, said that LillyDirect aims to ease the burdens of patients with chronic diseases by simplifying their experience and improving their outcomes. The service allows patients to find in-person care, explore telehealth options, or access pharmacy services to fill prescriptions for Lilly drugs.
For obesity patients, the telehealth option is provided by Form Health, an online platform that connects patients with clinicians and dietitians who create personalized treatment plans. Form collects patients’ medical records to verify their eligibility and conducts regular videoconference meetings to monitor their progress.
Form’s clinicians are unaware of whether a patient comes from LillyDirect, and neither Form nor Lilly receives any compensation for prescribing Lilly’s drugs. Form also prescribes AOMs from other manufacturers and ensures appropriate prescribing practices. According to its website, Form’s doctors use various tools in the obesity medicine toolkit, including GLP-1s and lower cost medications. They also consider the clinical needs, insurance plans, and budgets of each patient.
Zepbound, which has a list price of about $1,000 per month, can be obtained for as low as $25 for insured patients and $550 for uninsured patients through Lilly’s savings card program. Lilly also claims that LillyDirect will help prevent the use of counterfeit or compounded drugs, which have become more common as the demand for AOMs has risen.
LillyDirect plans to expand its offerings in the future, adding new products, partners, and services, such as adherence programs.
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