Lilly strikes obesity drug deal with Hims & Hers

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Lilly strikes obesity drug access deal with Hims & Hers telehealth

Wegovy and Ozempic injectable drugs and Wegovy pills

Key Summary:

  • Hims & Hers will offer Zepbound and Foundayo without patients needing to leave its platform.
  • The deal adds another route for reaching patients competition in digital healthcare grows.
  • Hims & Hers shares rose more than 7% in pre-market trading following the announcement.

Eli Lilly has agreed a competitive deal with Hims & Hers Health to make its obesity medicines available directly through the telehealth company’s platform, expanding its digital distribution network.

The share-price boosting agreement, which covers injectable Zepbound (tirzepatide) and oral Foundayo (orforglipron), saw Him & Hers shares up more than 7% in premarket trading.

Previously, patients using Hims & Hers had to leave the platform and visit LillyDirect to purchase Lilly’s medications so the change is intended to simplify access and reduce the likelihood of patients abandoning the process.

Lilly joins other giants in digital healthcare

Under the new deal, eligible patients will be able to complete a consultation with a licensed healthcare provider, receive a prescription where appropriate and arrange home delivery without leaving Hims & Hers website.

The deal gives Lilly, already the leader in the obesity drugs market, a presence alongside Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk on the platform, who’s weight loss flagships Wegovy and Ozempic (both semaglitide), have been available through Hims & Hers since March.

Following earlier disputes between Novo and the telehealth company over compounded versions of its medicines, Lilly’s agreement with Hims & Hers includes a commitment to not to offer compounded copies of its obesity treatments.

The announcement marks the telehealth company’s exit from mass compounding as it broadens its access to branded medicines from the two leading obesity drug manufacturers.

Self-pay market remains commercially significant

Hims & Hers said its weight-management service includes access to a care team, nutrition guidance, regular clinical check-ins and a patient community.

The partnership brings Lilly’s medicines into that existing care offering, connecting prescribing and delivery with ongoing support, a service increasingly popular with patients.

Self-pay prices start at $149 per month for Foundayo and $299 for Zepbound. These starting prices match those available through LillyDirect.

The two companies have also committed to preserving independent clinical decision-making, with healthcare providers continuing to select treatments according to each patient’s needs. Access to either medicine therefore remains subject to an appropriate prescription.

According to Lilly, self-pay channels account for approximately 40–45% of Zepbound sales, highlighting their importance to its obesity business. The agreement adds another route for reaching these patients as competition between established pharmaceutical companies increasingly extends into digital care.

For Hims & Hers, the partnership expands the range of branded treatments available within its platform while simplifying the purchasing process for patients prescribed Lilly medicines.

Feature image: silukstockimages on AdobeStock

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