Eli Lilly is expanding its offerings of its hit weight-loss drug Zepbound for people who want to pay cash instead of using their health plans, and reducing prices for certain dosages.

Eli Lilly said on Tuesday it has begun selling higher doses of its popular weight-loss drug Zepbound in vials in the U.S. at a $150 discount to the cost of the injector pen versions, as it seeks to spur further demand for the medicine.

Eli Lilly said Tuesday that it will offer more doses of its obesity drug Zepbound in vials and lower the prices of the doses it already sells.

Eli Lilly now offers higher doses of its weight-loss drug Zepbound in vial form at a discount to the injector pen versions. This move aims to increase demand amid pressure from investors and competition from Novo Nordisk's Wegovy,

Eli Lilly is betting big on its experimental oral weight-loss drug even before reporting data from its late-stage trial by recording nearly $550 million in "pre-launch inventory" in its financial statements,

Few big pharma stocks have been bigger winners over the last three years than Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. Lilly now ranks as the largest drugmaker in the world, with a market cap of $844 billion, after its shares skyrocketed more than 270%. Novo Nordisk stock is up around 75% despite a pullback in recent months.

Joe Nadglowski, president and CEO of the Obesity Action (WA: ACT) Coalition (OAC), appreciated Lilly's efforts to make obesity treatment more affordable. He emphasized, however, the need for continued progress in creating a health care system offering comprehensive care, coverage, and payment for individuals with obesity, free of weight bias.

Eli Lilly is offering higher-dose vials through its direct-to-consumer website, LillyDirect, which started offering lower doses in vials in August.