Houston Republic

Houston-based Empower Pharmacy said a lawsuit filed this month against the company by Eli Lilly is about "Big Pharma testing its power."

"It’s Big Pharma’s attempt to limit patient and provider choice and restrict access to individualized treatment," Empower said in a statement. “It’s about Big Pharma testing its power, challenging healthcare companies like Empower who prioritize personalized, affordable care over profit.”

Eli Lilly filed a lawsuit against Empower Pharmacy in April 2025. The suit alleges that Empower is copying and distributing compounded versions of medications that Lilly manufactures.

“The real reason for the lawsuit,” said Empower, is that “compounding medications, customized for individual needs, threaten” the model of mass-produced commercial drugs. 

Empower Pharmacy is one of the largest compounding pharmacies in the United States, with a 503A facility for patient-specific prescriptions and a 503B outsourcing facility for office-use medications.

Compounding pharmacies create customized medications tailored to individual patient needs, often in cases where commercially available drugs are unsuitable due to allergies, dosage requirements, or delivery methods.

Hospitals across the United States frequently rely on compounded medications to treat patients with unique clinical needs. A report from the National Center for Biotechnology Information details how compounding helps institutions provide the correct dosages and forms for neonates, chemotherapy patients, and others.

When standard tablets or capsules are unsuitable, compounding pharmacists also can address medication adherence by converting prescriptions into easier-to-use alternatives like topical gels, troches, or liquids. In a 2023 policy paper published in Pharmacy, researchers said that compounding pharmacies play a critical role in expanding medication access, particularly for rare diseases and unmet patient needs.

Empower serves millions of patients and tens of thousands of providers across the country and has positioned itself as a leader in pharmaceutical compounding with a focus on quality and regulatory compliance.