Eli Lilly, which has been directing patients to various telehealth sites as it sells its blockbuster obesity medication Zepbound, is broadening its reach, announcing a partnership Wednesday with major telehealth platform Ro.
Under the new agreement, Ro patients who are prescribed Zepbound will be able to get vials of the drug through its app. Previously, Lilly had only made these vials, which are priced lower than its injectable pens, available to patients who filled prescriptions through an online portal created by Lilly, called LillyDirect.
The deal marks a noteworthy development for Ro, which has been one of the major telehealth platforms providing compounded copies of GLP-1 obesity drugs during shortages of the branded treatments. Lilly has harshly criticized the cheaper products made by compounding pharmacies — going so far as to send cease-and-desist letters to telehealth sites offering compounded products.
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