ggm
12 hours ago
Longterm, are pills both cheaper to manufacture and distribute than injectable? It's tempting to assume so because of not needing a mechanism and production line processes towards pill encapsulation. About the only possible advantage a liquid would have is flow state manufacturing and avoidance of drying cycles somewhere in production. I can't see that outweighing the cost of the injector.
Cost, and price are of course fully disconnected here. I look forward to Indian and Canadian generics in due course.
devilbunny
11 hours ago
> are pills both cheaper to manufacture and distribute than injectable
Vastly. Dehydrating purified compounds is cheap and easy, and pills don't have to be truly sterile. Sterile injectables are not cheap lines to set up even aside from packaging in the injector.
iancmceachern
8 hours ago
Exactly, and this is because a huge part of our immune system lies in our gut. You can eat things all day that would kill you if injected.
hyghjiyhu
7 hours ago
I think it's also the physical barrier. Like how getting bacteria on your skin is no big deal.
toomuchtodo
12 hours ago
Yes, the cost and distribution stories are better for oral vs injectable. This pill is a peptide, which means you still have to be mindful when you take it versus food and beverage. Eli Lilly’s version is a small molecule versus a peptide, which means you can take it at any time. Long story short, for most obesity situations, this is going to be a broad system improvement.
Lilly is building a large manufacturing facility north of Indianapolis in Lebanon, and these drugs will be part of their manufacturing.