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Eli Lilly and Company announced Wednesday that it has partnered with Walmart to make its popular weight-loss drug Zepbound more accessible to patients across the United States — even for those without insurance coverage.

Starting next month, customers with a valid prescription will be able to purchase single-dose vials of Zepbound directly from Walmart pharmacies nationwide or have them delivered to their homes.

Both options will be managed through LillyDirect, the pharmaceutical giant's direct-to-consumer platform launched earlier this year.

According to Eli Lilly, this collaboration aims to simplify how patients access Zepbound by removing common insurance hurdles that often delay or prevent treatment.

"In response to growing demand and patient frustration with coverage barriers, we're expanding our direct-to-consumer program to retail partners like Walmart," the company said in a statement.

Through LillyDirect, patients can purchase Zepbound at significantly reduced prices — starting at $349 per month for the recommended starting dose and $499 per month for higher doses, FoxBusiness reported.

The company says these prices reflect savings of up to 50% compared to other obesity treatments.

To qualify for higher doses, patients must meet the requirements outlined in Eli Lilly's Self Pay Journey Program.

Zepbound Demand Soars With New Walmart-Eli Lilly Deal

The move comes as Zepbound continues to surge in popularity following its FDA approval in 2023 for chronic weight management in adults who are obese or overweight.

The medication belongs to a class of drugs called GLP-1 agonists, which were originally developed to treat Type 2 diabetes but are now widely prescribed for weight loss.

While the medication has helped many patients, obtaining it through insurance has often been challenging.

Many insurance companies, including big names like Cigna, still require prior authorization and strict qualifications such as certain BMI levels or related medical conditions before covering weight-loss drugs.

The new Walmart partnership aims to make things easier by removing much of that red tape, giving customers faster access if they choose to pay out-of-pocket.

Interest in medications like Zepbound has surged as more people turn to them for both medical and cosmetic weight loss.

This growing demand has also caused occasional shortages and steep prices.

According to Reuters, by teaming up with Walmart, Eli Lilly hopes to strengthen Zepbound's position against rivals like Novo Nordisk, the company behind Wegovy and Ozempic, and secure a bigger share of the rapidly growing $150 billion global weight-loss drug market.

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WalMart, Eli Lilly