Overview
- CVS announced Thursday it will add Eli Lilly’s oral GLP-1 pill Foundayo to its standard formulary template effective June 1 and restore the injectable Zepbound as a preferred option effective Oct. 1.
- The change applies to Caremark’s standard commercial formulary, which could affect about 25 million to 30 million people, but employers and plan sponsors retain the final choice to adopt or modify the template.
- CVS said the shift follows negotiated deals with manufacturers and the removal of a new-to-market block on Foundayo, and it expects roughly 10% to 15% additional savings across the weight-management category.
- Lilly and CVS said some privately insured patients on covered plans could see copays as low as $25, though actual out-of-pocket costs will vary by plan and by employer decisions.
- The move brings Caremark in line with other large PBMs that already cover Lilly’s drugs, increases competition with Novo Nordisk, and comes while a class-action lawsuit over last year’s Zepbound removal remains active.