NEW YORK, Aug. 27 -- U.S. drug-maker Eli Lilly will begin offering its popular new weight-loss drug Zepbound in vials, in addition to standard injection-pen devices, at about half the price of the original for certain doses, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

To date, Zepbound has been packaged in a single device, an injection pen that contains both the drug and the needle. Patients press a button on one end to insert a needle on the other end that delivers the dose. With the new vials, patients will use a syringe to draw out their dose and then to inject themselves.

Indianapolis-based Lilly said it is rolling out the vials largely to help boost overall supplies, in response to high demand, because vials are easier to make than injection pens. "The key reason is supply," said Patrik Jonsson, president of Lilly's cardiometabolic health unit. "We've seen unprecedented demand. The vials represent a new opportunity to increase supply."

The vials will provide a more affordable option for the many people whose insurance still doesn't cover anti-obesity drugs. The vials will come in the two lowest doses of Zepbound. Four-week supplies will cost 399 U.S. dollars for the 2.5-milligram dose and 549 dollars for the 5-mg dose. That compares with a 1,060 dollars list price for a month's worth of Zepbound injection pens.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Lilly's plan to sell Zepbound in vials in March. The FDA approved packaging that will contain detailed instructions on how patients can safely administer the drug from a vial.

  - Xinhua