Feb 23 (Reuters) – Eli Lilly said on Monday it received the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval to launch a four-dose KwikPen for its weight-loss drug Zepbound, delivering a full month of the treatment in a single device.

Rival Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy has been sold as a single-dose weekly autoinjector pen for weight loss in the U.S. since 2021.

Here are some details:

* Zepbound KwikPen will be available starting at $299 per month for the 2.5-milligram dose for cash-paying customers

* The multi-dose injection pen will be available in all six doses – 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg, and 15 mg

* KwikPen is also used to deliver Lilly’s diabetes drug Mounjaro

* The device is available in many major international regions such as the United Kingdom, Australia, the Middle East and Canada

* Zepbound, approved by the FDA in 2023, is also available as a single-dose autoinjector or in vials in the U.S.

* It has overtaken Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy as the weight-loss market leader in the U.S., based on prescription data

(Reporting by Christy Santhosh in Bengaluru; Editing by Sriraj Kalluvila)