Teladoc and LifeMD are partnering with drugmaker Eli Lilly to offer the weight loss drug Zepbound directly to self-paying patients.
The two telehealth companies said Thursday they’re working with Gifthealth, which is the pharmacy partner of Eli Lilly’s direct-pay, direct-to-consumer website LillyDirect. Their telehealth platforms will be integrated into LillyDirect, allowing patients to get a prescription to Zepbound through the two companies’ providers.
Related: Hims & Hers' stock plunges as semaglutide shortage ends
The partnership comes as big pharmaceutical companies lower the prices of the weight loss drugs and telehealth companies grapple with restrictions on the sale of some compounded GLP-1s, which are cheaper copies of the branded medications and have been a cornerstone of their businesses.
On Wednesday, a federal judge ruled that compounding pharmacies must stop selling versions of Eli Lilly's Zepbound and Mounjaro. The FDA removed its active ingredient, tirzepatide, from a shortage list last fall.
Teladoc said in a news release the partnership with Eli Lilly will help increase access for members in its weight management program who do not have insurance coverage for glucagon-like peptide-1 drugs.
Spokespeople for Teladoc and LifeMD said there were no revenue-sharing arrangement between the companies and Eli Lilly.
LifeMD charges a fee for patients to enter its life management program and patients pay the listed price for the GLP-1s. Individual doses of Zepbound can cost between $349 and $499 per month, according to Eli Lilly's website.
Eli Lilly didn’t immediately respond to an interview request.
As GLP-1 drugs have gotten more popular, several companies are offering them directly to patients through self-pay options. Eli Lilly launched its direct-to-consumer option in January 2024. The service connects patients to independent providers that can prescribe the medications and deliver them to a patient's home. In December, the drugmaker signed a agreement with telehealth company Ro to offer single-dose vials of Zepound directly to consumers.
Big pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, which also offers GLP-1s, launched a self-pay option Tuesday. The company said it will offer Wegovy for $499 per month.
In February, the Food and Drug Administration declared an end to the shortage of semaglutide injection products, such as Novo Nordisk's Wegovy. The declaration led to uncertainty for telehealth companies such as Hims & Hers that have built businesses around compounded GLP-1s.
Late last month, the Outsourcing Facilities Association, a trade organization that represents compounding pharmacies, and North American Custom Laboratories, which operates as FarmaKeio Superior Custom Compounding, sued the FDA over its decision to remove Novo Nordisk's semaglutide from the shortage list.
That followed their suit filed against the FDA in October, related to Eli Lilly's Zepbound and Mounjaro, which was decided Wednesday.
