Lilly cuts Canadian list prices for Mounjaro and Zepbound by 20% or more
A Canadian price cut for the tirzepatide drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound does not change US list prices, and Lilly has not said whether similar cuts will follow in the United States.
Eli Lilly is cutting the Canadian list prices of its diabetes and weight-loss drugs Mounjaro and Zepbound by 20% or more, according to a Globe and Mail report that Reuters cited on December 17 [1]. A note the company sent to pharmacies says the lower prices take effect December 29 [1].
Under the change, a four-week supply of Mounjaro or Zepbound would carry a Canadian list price of 300 Canadian dollars, or about $217, for the 2.5 mg and 5 mg doses, Reuters reported [1]. The 7.5 mg and 10 mg doses would cost 420 Canadian dollars for a four-week supply [1]. Reuters used an exchange rate of $1 to 1.3783 Canadian dollars [1].
Both drugs contain tirzepatide. Mounjaro is Lilly's injection for type 2 diabetes, and Zepbound is its weight-loss drug [1].
The report did not include the previous Canadian prices, so how far each dose falls in dollar terms has not been reported [1]. It also did not set out Lilly's explanation for the cuts [1]. Eli Lilly did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside regular business hours, and Reuters said it could not immediately verify the Globe and Mail report [1].
The Canadian move follows a US price reduction earlier in December, when Lilly lowered the price of single-dose vials of Zepbound to make the treatment more affordable for US patients [1]. The two moves cover different markets and different products: the Canadian change applies to four-week supplies of Mounjaro and Zepbound, while the US change applied to single-dose vials of Zepbound [1].
Why it matters for patients
A list price is the published price for a drug, not the amount a patient pays. The figures Reuters reported are Canadian list prices, and the report did not estimate what Canadian patients would pay out of pocket after insurance, pharmacy discounts or rebates [1].
Nothing in the report changes US list prices, and no US price change was announced alongside the Canadian one [1]. For US readers, the open question is whether Lilly takes the same approach at home. The company cut US prices for Zepbound single-dose vials earlier in December [1], but whether it will lower US list prices for Mounjaro, Zepbound pens or other dose strengths has not been reported [1].
The report also did not say whether the Canadian decision affects pricing in any other country, including the United States [1].
What happens next
The new Canadian prices take effect December 29 [1]. Whether the cuts cover every dose strength, including the 12.5 mg and 15 mg doses, has not been reported [1]. It is also not yet known whether other markets, including the United States, will see similar list-price reductions [1].
Sources
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