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

Going more directly to consumers — bypassing wholesalers and insurers — allows Lilly and Novo to sell the drugs for roughly half the list price.

J. Edward Moreno

10/29/25 7:30AM

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.

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Electronic Arts launches a platform to put more ads in its games

Video game publishing giant EA launched a new platform on Monday designed to make the process of selling immersive ad space in its popular games easier.

The company says the platform, called EA Advertising, allows brands to “integrate directly into gameplay through dynamic, real-time placements, from stadium signage to custom in-game content.”

More so than other studios, EA has incorporated advertising into its most popular titles. As Kotaku points out, the company’s ad efforts stretch as far back as 2006. Several of its sports franchises already feature partnerships with brands like Visa, Lowe’s, Red Bull, and PepsiCo.

In-game advertising hasn’t exactly been embraced by fans, but industry experts expect it to ramp up as companies seek more revenue to offset higher games budgets and surging memory costs. EA rival Take-Two has taken a different approach, with CEO Strauss Zelnick recently saying the company was “not at risk of doing brand partnerships” in the forthcoming “Grand Theft Auto VI,” and that ads in full-price games seems “unfair.”

The $55 billion deal to take EA private, led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, is set to close at the end of this month. Being the largest leveraged buyout in history, EA will likely look for more ways to boost revenue to cover interest payments.

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JM Smucker says it sold $1 billion worth of Uncrustables in FY2026

After years of booming sandwich sales, JM Smucker has finally earned a billion-dollar crust.

On Tuesday, the company reported results for fiscal year 2026, highlighting better-than-expected profits driven by higher prices for coffee and sweet baked goods. However, at another point on the earnings call, CEO Mark Smucker pointed to one particularly jammy figure: in line with previous forecasts, the company sold $1 billion worth of its (almost always) crustless sandwiches, Uncrustables, in the last year alone.

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Paramount reportedly offers concessions to resolve multistate antitrust investigation

Paramount has reportedly offered up some concessions in an effort to prevent an antitrust lawsuit by California and about 10 other states, according to Bloomberg reporting on Monday.

Reuters first reported on the potential suit from a group of unnamed states last week, which could throw a wrench in Paramount’s plans to buy rival Warner Bros. Discovery in a Hollywood megamerger.

The list of concessions is unknown, though Bloomberg previously reported that Paramount is open to divesting some of its kids TV assets to appease EU regulators.

Late last month, reports said US regulators appeared likely to approve the $110 billion merger, following a meeting between Paramount CEO David Ellison and DOJ antitrust staffers.

Paramount Offers Concessions to Head Off State Antitrust Lawsuit

The list of concessions is unknown, though Bloomberg previously reported that Paramount is open to divesting some of its kids TV assets to appease EU regulators.

Late last month, reports said US regulators appeared likely to approve the $110 billion merger, following a meeting between Paramount CEO David Ellison and DOJ antitrust staffers.

$98B ⛽

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The IATA released its latest financial outlook for the airline industry over the weekend, forecasting a $98 billion jump in the sector’s collective fuel bill. The world’s largest trade group representing airlines expects the oil spike to halve profits by 49% from last year to $23 billion.

The group also expects profit margins to halve year over year, falling from 2025’s 4.2% to 2%. Still, revenue is expected to climb to $1.17 trillion from $1.07 trillion.

A surge in the cost of jet fuel has rocked US and global airlines this year, leading Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, and others to raise fares and ancillary charges like bag fees. Low-cost carriers, which operate on smaller margins, have been squeezed the hardest, resulting in Spirit’s shutdown.

“It’s a tough year for all airlines, especially those whose balance sheets had not yet recovered from COVID. And, of course, for those operating in the Gulf,” said IATA Director General Willie Walsh, who added that demand is holding up and about half of passengers expect to spend more on travel this year. “That bodes well for a strong northern summer peak season. The big unknown is how long travelers and shippers can tolerate the higher costs of connectivity.”

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