Local healthcare tech startup Gifthealth is taking on the fight against obesity through a partnership it has struck with pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly that will create 751 jobs in Columbus.
Lilly announced Tuesday that it is releasing a new form of its popular weight loss drug Zepbound and is making it available to people who don’t have insurance coverage and are willing to pay out of pocket for access to it. Gifthealth will dispense the vials of the drug.
Earlier this month, Gifthealth received approval for state tax incentives with an estimated value of $11.3 million. At the time, the state would say only that Gifthealth had a new contract to distribute a gastrointestinal drug that will mean significant growth, but didn’t provide other details.
Indianapolis-based Lilly said Tuesday that it was making single-dose vials of Zepbound available to patients who don’t have access to insurance coverage or other discounts. The move is meant to expand the supply of Zepbound in response to what has been high demand for this and other weight-loss drugs.