A federal judge has effectively ended the ability of compounding pharmacies to make their own copies of Eli Lilly’s weight loss and diabetes drugs.

A U.S. federal judge has refused to allow compounding pharmacies to keep making copies of Eli Lilly's popular weight-loss and diabetes drugs Zepbound and Mounjaro in the United States.

Eli Lilly said it has launched new doses of its obesity treatment drug and reduced its prices.

Compounders had been allowed to produce and sell hundreds of thousands of their own versions of popular anti-obesity drugs.

Eli Lilly said on Tuesday it cut the price for vials of its weight-loss drug Zepbound by $50 or more and expanded the range of doses sold online to try to stave off competition from compounding pharmacies and rival Novo Nordisk .

The weight-loss drug market is evolving at a rapid speed, with leading pharma companies including Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly diving into the opportunity to make anti-obesity products. This article looks into key players in the arena.

Consumers who use telehealth or medical spas to get less expensive, compounded weight loss drugs will need to get their medications elsewhere.

Eli Lilly & Co. said Tuesday it’s cutting the price of single-dose vials of its Zepbound treatment for diabetes and obesity for patients who have to pay for the drug themselves. It said it will also be adding two new doses, as competition in the space continues to heat up.

Novo Nordisk A/S is following in rival Eli Lilly & Co.’s footsteps by selling its hit weight-loss drug Wegovy directly to US patients at a discount.