Eli Lilly partners with Amazon Pharmacy to deliver GLP-1 drugs

Amazon Pharmacy will now be filling prescriptions for glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs — and other pharmaceuticals for obesity, diabetes, and migraines — requested through Eli Lilly’s LillyDirect platform, according to an announcement by Lilly on March 13, 2024. The pharmacy will join TruePill as one of the platform’s prescription-filling entities.

Eli Lilly launched LillyDirect on January 4, 2024, as a direct-to-consumer medication delivery platform offering disease management and support. Eli Lilly collaborates with multiple companies on this platform, including Form Health, to provide telehealth services and Eversana Pharmacy Services for verification of benefits, manufacturer savings, and prescription routing.

Patients treated for obesity, migraines, or diabetes can utilize the Pharmacy Solutions feature to fill prescriptions through an online third-party pharmacy. Until recently, Lilly only used TruePill as its third-party pharmacy. Adding Amazon Pharmacy to fill prescriptions should help Lilly keep up with demand for its LillyDirect platform, which — according to Lilly CEO David Ricks in a Tuesday discussion at the Economic Club of New York — is increasing rapidly.

One of the primary focuses of this partnership is Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro and Zepbound, the company’s injectable GLP-1 medications. Both drugs are trade names for tirzepatide; however, Mounjaro is approved for patients with type 2 diabetes, while Zepbound is indicated for chronic weight management in overweight and obese adults.

These drugs compete heavily with Novo Nordisk’s GLP-1 drugs, Wegovy and Ozempic, which are trade names for semaglutide. Like Lilly’s drug portfolio, Ozempic and Wegovy are indicated for type 2 diabetes and weight loss, respectively.

As the indications, research, and demand for these GLP-1 drugs increase, both companies are tasked with maintaining a supply that keeps up with the market.

While Lilly is not promising that this collaboration with Amazon Pharmacy will eliminate any shortages, Endpoints said that Lilly's vice president of managed healthcare services, Frank Cunningham, believes it will offer a convenient option for consumers.

Amazon Pharmacy also notes it now accepts new prescriptions for Mounjaro and Zepbound.

As the market for these drugs evolves, Lilly is not entering exclusive partnerships with any pharmacy and may continue developing connections to deliver medications through its LillyDirect platform.