Eli Lilly's Zepbound Pricing Debacle: Bernie Sanders Weighs In

Eli Lilly's Pricing Debacle it's been an exciting week for Eli Lily and the whole zip bound pricing what is turning out to be somewhat of a debacle so of course we know from reporting yesterday videos that lorine and I did they released a cash price that really is hopefully helpful for a lot of folks on Medicare and other and other things that are paying with cash but the news continues because turns out the coupon that we use that savings coupon actually went up $100 if you're insured but not covered for the Insurance of Z bound so thanks very much well good to know Bernie Sanders Takes Action however that late yesterday Senator Bernie Sanders whether he was reading one of watching one of our blogs or somebody else's or his team just figured it out discovered the same thing so he's on it if you don't know Bernie Sanders is the chairman of the senate committee on health education labor and pension so help and he issued the following statement I'll just read the statement after drug maker Eli Lily agreed to significantly lower the list price for the starter dose of its weight loss drug Zep bound so he says last month President Biden and I co-authored an oped demanding that noo Nordisk and Eli Lily substantially lower the outrageously high prices they are charging Americans for popular weight loss drugs and diabetes drugs in fact he we said or Bernie said that if these profitable pharmaceutical companies refuse to substantially lower prescription drug prices in our country and end their greed we will do everything within our power to end it for them so Bernie's not taking any crap Eli Lilly's Price Adjustments he goes on to say today I'm pleased that Eli ly took a modest step forward by reducing the starter price of Zep bound the good news is that Eli Lily lowered the list price for the starter dose of zip bound from $1,000 a month to $399 a month and the second dose to $549 a month the bad news however his letter goes on to say is that Eli Lily raised the cost that Americans have been paying for Zep bound under its patient assistance program from 550 to 650 so up a 100 bucks in addition Eli Lily has still refused to lower the outrageous price of monjaro that Americans struggling with diabetes desperately need there is no rational reason other than greed why mangaro should cost $1,069 a month in the United States but just 485 in the United Kingdom and $94 in Japan he goes on to say and let's be clear even with this modest price reduction for Zep bound millions of Americans will still be unable to afford the diabetes and weight loss drugs they desperately need further at the outrageously high prices that Eli Lily and Nova Nordisk are charging the American people for these widely used drugs Medicare would likely go bankrupt he goes on I look forward to discussing the high cost of diabetes and weight loss drugs with the CEO of Nova Nordisk at a help Committee hearing on September 24th I also look forward to engaging with Eli Lily to urge them to further reduce the list prices of zip bound and monjaro that they sell in America he goes on bottom line there is no rational reason why the American people continue to pay by far the highest price in the world for prescription drugs that has got to change The Broader Issue of Drug Pricing so no matter your politics this isn't a blue question a red question doesn't matter to me I don't want to argue over whether you like Bernie Sanders our Health Care system is overly complex our drug distribution system has everybody making money in it from the manufacturer to the PBM which I'm not even sure we even need those in the system to the distributor to the drugstore chain yes it's America they should all be profitable no they should not be charging as much as they are and American should be able to get their medications at a reasonable price while Company still profit so play the politics however you want I don't care I'll support Bernie for doing this and we look forward to seeing what Nova nordes has to say when they're in front of his committee and I'd love for him to get the CEO of Eli Lily in front of his committee as well and and start asking these difficult questions this is Upcoming Discussions and Final Thoughts an ongoing story as we all know there's still a lot of questions around how these cards will work and what's going to happen so we will report back just as soon as we know in the meantime if you Join Us for More Insights have any insights questions please leave a comment please make sure to join us Thursday night at 7 for downsized live and a special tip here you won't see anywhere else well maybe one other place else line and I will also be on Dave naps live Thursday night as well I think it's 9:00 Central maybe and we'll be chatting with Dave from on the pen so thanks for inviting us Dave we will see you on Thursday in the meantime like And subscribe I'm Christopher Durham for the downsized