Eli Lilly

Weight-loss drugs have made big headlines in health over the past year, and Eli Lilly’s drug tirzepatide (known as Zepbound for obesity or Mounjaro for diabetes), which received U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for treating obesity last November, is central to the conversation. Now the FDA is reviewing another of the company’s drugs, which would be a breakthrough for Alzheimer’s treatment. But having effective medications for diseases that affect so many isn’t truly useful unless they get into the hands of patients who need them. So in 2024, the company—which this year took the top spot as the world’s largest health care company by market cap—created LillyDirect to improve patients' access to the company’s drugs for obesity, migraine and diabetes. The program ships drugs directly to patients, automatically applies any co-pay assistance they are eligible to receive, and could result in lower overall costs to patients.