Eli Lilly and Company (NYSE:LLY) has partnered with Amazon Pharmacy to offer free delivery of select medicines directly to patients’ homes through its website, LillyDirect. This collaboration with Amazon Pharmacy, a subsidiary of Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN), complements Lilly’s existing partnership with online pharmacy Truepill.
In January, Lilly launched LillyDirect, a direct-to-consumer website, to enable patients to order medicines for obesity, migraine, and diabetes directly from the company. These medicines are delivered through third-party pharmacies like Amazon and Truepill.
Amazon will now facilitate the delivery of a range of Lilly’s medicines, including its FDA-approved tirzepatide medicines. This includes the diabetes drug Mounjaro and a new weight loss medicine, Zepbound. Both Mounjaro and Zepbound contain the compound tirzepatide, a dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist (GIP/GLP-1 RA).
GLP-1 drugs, which mimic the hormone GLP-1, have shown efficacy in weight loss, reducing hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and lowering cardiovascular risks. The obesity indication for GLP-1 drugs has garnered significant interest due to the global rise in obesity-related health issues like heart disease, diabetes, and stroke.
Zepbound was approved in November 2023 and launched in December, while Mounjaro was approved in May 2022 for treating type II diabetes and achieved sales of $3.86 billion in 2023.
Lilly’s stock has surged 130.1% in the past year, outperforming the industry’s 33.6% increase.
Other FDA-approved GLP-1 drugs include Novo Nordisk’s (NVO) semaglutide medicines, Ozempic and Rybelsus, for type II diabetes, and Wegovy for obesity.
Despite supply challenges, Wegovy has seen strong prescription trends and generated impressive revenues and profits for Novo Nordisk. However, Wegovy is expected to face significant competition from Zepbound in 2024.
In addition to Mounjaro and Zepbound, Lilly has also listed some insulins and the migraine drug Emgality on LillyDirect.
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Author Stephanie Bédard-Châteauneuf 