Eli Lilly's CEO said supply of Zepbound, the drugmaker's new weight loss drug, might not meet 2024 demand.
After the drug was approved in November, the company sold 25,000 new prescriptions of Zepbound (tirzepatide) each week in December, Eli Lilly CEO David Ricks exclusively told Reuters.
"I think it's important to set expectations, but we're working hard to fulfill demand," Mr. Ricks told Reuters. He declined to comment on how much Zepbound the company can now produce or predict 2024 demand and supply.
Eli Lilly is working to bolster its manufacturing capabilities, including additions to a North Carolina plant and two new facilities.
"Production at our research triangle park manufacturing facility in North Carolina was recently initiated and we anticipate our Concord, N.C., site to come online in 2024," a spokesperson told Becker's. "Other previously announced investments and efficiency efforts, including the facility in Germany, will allow us to substantially expand manufacturing over the coming years, helping us to achieve our goal to supply the long-term global demand we expect for Lilly's incretin medications."
Other similar drugs, including Ozempic and Wegovy, have been in unsteady supply because of unprecedented demand for their weight loss results. Novo Nordisk, the maker of the Type 2 diabetes drug and weight loss medication, is also working to increase production by expanding manufacturing facilities.
A few factors could influence demand. In December, Cigna's Express Scripts added Zepbound to its list of preferred medicines for reimbursement, but employer-sponsored health plans are more hesitant to cover weight loss therapies. Mr. Ricks said he expects pharmacy benefit managers to broadly cover the drug.