Hims & Hers adds branded Zepbound, and Lilly publicly disowns the company
Hims & Hers said it would sell Eli Lilly's branded Zepbound, but Lilly issued a same-day statement saying it has no affiliation with the telehealth company, a rare public split that could affect how and where patients buy the drug.
On April 1, 2025, Hims & Hers said it would add Eli Lilly's brand-name obesity drug Zepbound (tirzepatide) to its telehealth platform, and the company's shares rose the same day [1]. Hours later, Lilly put out a statement making clear it was not behind the arrangement, saying flatly that "Eli Lilly and Company has no affiliation with hims & hers" [2].
The two companies' public messages that day did not match up. Hims & Hers framed the addition of Zepbound as an expansion of its weight-loss offerings, and investors reacted positively, pushing the stock higher, according to CNBC coverage of the news [1]. Lilly's statement, released through its investor relations office, did not describe any partnership or licensing deal with Hims & Hers. Instead, it stressed that Zepbound "can be prescribed by any licensed healthcare professional," a line that underscores Lilly does not control who dispenses the drug, only who manufactures it [2].
Lilly's statement also included pricing details aimed at directing patients back to its own channels. It said people with commercial insurance that covers Zepbound may be eligible to pay as low as $25, and that self-pay patients can get the drug starting at $349 per month through LillyDirect, the company's own online pharmacy service [2]. By publishing these numbers in the same release that disavowed any tie to Hims & Hers, Lilly appeared to be pointing patients toward its own website rather than the telehealth platform that had just announced it was selling the drug [2].
Neither source explains the mechanics of how Hims & Hers obtained or planned to distribute Zepbound, and neither describes any specific marketing claims Lilly objected to. What is documented is the sequence: Hims & Hers announced the addition, its stock rose, and Lilly responded the same day with a statement distancing itself from the company [1][2].
Why it matters for patients
For people considering Zepbound, the immediate practical question is where to fill a prescription and at what price. Lilly's statement lists two options directly from the manufacturer: a $25 co-pay for eligible insured patients and a $349-per-month self-pay price through LillyDirect [2]. Patients weighing whether to use Hims & Hers or go directly to Lilly's own channel may want to compare pricing and terms carefully, since the sources here show Lilly publicly steering people toward its own site rather than confirming any relationship with the telehealth seller [2].
The dispute also signals that manufacturers are watching closely how their brand-name GLP-1 drugs are marketed by third-party telehealth companies. Lilly's statement that "Zepbound can be prescribed by any licensed healthcare professional" is a reminder that the drug itself is not exclusive to any single seller, but the company's choice to publicly disavow Hims & Hers suggests it did not want its brand associated with that platform's approach [2].
For patients already using or considering tirzepatide, the sources do not indicate any change in the drug's safety, dosing, or FDA-approved use. The dispute is about distribution and marketing, not the medicine itself [1][2].
What happens next
The sources provided do not say whether Hims & Hers continued selling Zepbound after Lilly's statement, whether Lilly took further action, or how the disagreement was resolved. Those details are not yet known from the available reporting [1][2].
Images from the sources
Sources
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