Pfizer Launches Platform, Competes with Eli Lilly

Pfizer has launched a direct-to-consumer (D2C) digital platform, PfizerForAll, aimed at patients with migraines and respiratory ailments, including COVID-19. This move puts Pfizer in direct competition with Eli Lilly, which has recently introduced a new, more affordable version of its weight-loss drug Zepbound in single-dose vials, priced at about half the cost of its previous offerings. Lilly's strategy aims to overcome supply chain issues related to its complex auto-injector pens and to compete with compounded versions of GLP-1 drugs. The new pricing structure for Zepbound has led to a significant decline in shares of competitors like Viking Therapeutics and Zealand Pharma. Lilly's initiative is expected to increase consumer access and affordability, addressing a critical gap for patients without insurance coverage. Analysts consider Lilly's move a strategic challenge to the existing compounded drug market, potentially increasing market pressures on similar players such as Hims&Hers Health.