CVS Restores Zepbound Access for 10 Million Patients as Lilly Cuts Health-Plan Price
Updated
Updated · Bloomberg · May 28
CVS Restores Zepbound Access for 10 Million Patients as Lilly Cuts Health-Plan Price
11 articles · Updated · Bloomberg · May 28
More than 10 million US patients will regain easier insured access to Eli Lilly’s obesity drug Zepbound after CVS Health reversed restrictions in certain drug plans.
CVS said the change followed Lilly’s agreement to lower the price it charges many health plans, undoing a formulary decision driven by cost.
In July, CVS Caremark had limited Zepbound access after striking a better-priced deal with Novo Nordisk for rival weight-loss shot Wegovy.
The reversal marks a renewed pricing battle in the fast-growing obesity-drug market, where pharmacy benefit managers are using formulary access to force discounts.
CVS is expanding access to blockbuster weight-loss drugs, but with costs soaring, who will ultimately foot the bill for a thinner America?
As new weight-loss drugs cause bariatric surgeries to plummet, are we trading a permanent solution for a costly, lifelong medication dependency?
With a new, cheaper weight-loss pill challenging the top injectable, is the era of the needle for obesity treatment already nearing an end?
CVS Caremark’s 2024 Formulary Shakeup: Zepbound Restored, Foundayo Added, and the Future of Obesity Drug Coverage
Overview
CVS Caremark has updated its standard commercial drug plans by restoring coverage for Zepbound and adding Foundayo, aiming to improve access to affordable medications and address rising prescription drug costs. By including these drugs on its formulary, CVS Caremark makes them more widely available across various plans, though final coverage decisions still depend on individual employers. This move is part of CVS Health’s broader strategy to actively manage formularies, ensuring patients can continue treatments like Wegovy without interruption and balancing cost, access, and patient needs in the evolving landscape of obesity treatment.