(NBC News) — The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved Zepbound, a new weight loss drug from drugmaker Eli Lilly that was shown in clinical trials to help people lose up to 52 pounds in 16 months.
Zepbound is the latest entrant into the field of powerful new drugs that already includes Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy and Lilly’s Mounjaro.
The FDA approved the drug for adults with obesity or who are overweight with at least one weight-related condition.
In a release, Lilly said Zepbound should be available in the U.S. by the end of the year. It will carry a list price of about $1,060 for a month’s supply.
The cost may put the new drug out of reach for many people given that insurance companies are often reluctant to cover weight loss medications, and Medicare, by law, does not cover them.