Demand for popular weight loss drugs like Novo Nordisk's Ozempic is outpacing supply
Eli Lilly has selected Amazon Pharmacy as a third-party delivery option for its direct-to-consumer service LillyDirect, which launched earlier this year.
“To help patients being treated for diabetes, obesity, and migraine, Amazon Pharmacy is now offering home delivery of select medications through LillyDirect,” the e-commerce giant said in a blog post on Wednesday.
The drug manufacturer launched its delivery service in January as a way to ensure patients have a consistent supply of its medications, as demand for Zepbound and similar drugs such as Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy has soared.
LillyDirect connects consumers with independent healthcare providers online or in-person who can write prescriptions to Zepbound and other drugs. Those prescriptions are then fulfilled by third-party online pharmacies like Truepill and now Amazon Pharmacy. Patients who already have a doctor can have their prescriptions fulfilled by LillyDirect, as well.
Sales of a new class of weight loss drugs known as GLP-1s have transformed Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk into the most valuable pharmaceutical companies in the world. Eli Lilly is now the world’s 10th largest company by market capitalization, at $718 billion.
Unfortunately, the high demand has also made it hard for some patients to have their prescriptions filled.
“Many patients report driving to five, six, seven pharmacies to find the medicine they need,” Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks told investors during an earnings call in February. He added, that LillyDirect “simplifies the process.”
Eli Lilly rival Novo Nordisk, maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, has also faced difficulty meeting demand. Since May 2023, Novo Nordisk has been limiting starter doses of Wegovy to ensure there is enough supply for patients already on the drug.
Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen told CNBC this month that the gap between demand for weight loss drugs and the supply is overwhelming.
“It’ll take quite some years before the industry has scaled up supplies to be able to meet this very strong demand,” Jørgensen said.
Join 500,000+ readers who start their day with Quartz.
By subscribing, you agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.
