Lilly defends market with new action against GLP-1 compounders

With two new lawsuits, Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY) has escalated its legal campaign against the makers of unauthorized versions of its diabetes and weight-loss drugs, Mounjaro (tirzepatide) and Zepbound (tirzepatide), challenging inroads made by drug compounders in what has become a highly lucrative market.

On April 1, the US pharma major filed complaints in federal courts in Delaware and New Jersey, targeting Strive Pharmacy and Empower Clinic Services. 

The lawsuits allege that the pharmacies are illegally compounding tirzepatide without approval from the Food and Drug Administration, marketing the custom formulations as patient-specific products, and misrepresenting them as equivalent to Lilly’s branded medicines.