Eli Lilly strikes deal with Walmart to distribute cash-pay Zepbound vials

Eli Lilly announced that it’s partnering with Walmart to distribute cheaper, cash-pay options for its blockbuster weight-loss shot Zepbound.

Zepbound vials will be available at Walmarts nationwide by mid-November, the company announced on Wednesday morning. The cash-pay price for those vials is between $350 and $500 for a monthly dose, compared to the upward of $1,000 a monthly case of Zepbound pens costs.

Lilly’s top competitor in the GLP-1 space, Novo Nordisk, announced earlier this month that it struck a similar partnership with Costco to distribute cash-pay options for its weight-loss shot Wegovy.

Going more directly to consumers — bypassing wholesalers and insurers — allows Lilly and Novo to sell the drugs for roughly half the list price. And it appears to be a successful strategy for selling the popular but expensive weight-loss shots. In the second quarter of 2025, approximately 35% of new Zepbound prescriptions were fulfilled through Lilly’s direct-to-consumer channel, the company said.

While DTC sales have been promising for GLP-1s, which are popular but often not covered by insurance, marketing directly to consumers is not something drugmakers have much experience in. Novo and Lilly have relied on a patchwork of partnerships to distribute their drugs.

Lilly and Novo have also struck deals with telehealth companies to distribute their cash-pay options, but those have, at times, proved difficult to maintain.

Walmart recently announced that it was expanding its capabilities for refrigerated prescription deliveries, which Amazon’s pharmacy was already doing, though the Lilly deal specifies it’s for in-store pickup. Weight Watchers announced a deal with Amazon this month to deliver GLP-1s accessed through its platform.