Just under a fortnight since Zepbound-manufacturer Eli Lilly decreased the price of their revolutionary weight-loss drug, competitor Novo Nordisk has announced that they will be reducing the cost of their own popular weight-loss medication, Wegovy, for customers paying in cash. On Wednesday, Novo Nordisk disclosed that patients prescribed Wegovy would now be able to purchase the obesity treatment through the company’s NovoCare Pharmacy for $499 per month. This fixed price applies to all dosages of the injectable medication, ranging from 0.25 to 2.4 milligrams, and the drug will be conveniently shipped directly to the customers’ residences.
The Danish pharmaceutical giant noted that this new pricing strategy could particularly benefit the uninsured and those individuals whose insurance plans do not cover the category of medications known as GLP-1, or glucagon-like peptide-1, medications. Despite health insurers commonly covering diabetes drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro, they are less inclined to include medications for obesity treatment in their coverage. A survey conducted by benefits consultant Mercer in 2024 revealed that less than half of large employers provided coverage for GLP-1 drugs aimed at treating obesity. Consequently, consumers are frequently faced with substantial bills for medications that can exceed $1,000 per month before any applicable rebates or discounts.
To avail the discounted price for Wegovy, interested individuals must make their purchases exclusively through Novo Nordisk’s NovoCare Pharmacy. Cash-paying customers outside this channel may acquire the drug at a price of $650 from other retail pharmacies. Novo Nordisk’s spokesperson, Jamie Bennett, indicated that the company intends to extend the $499 price option to cash-paying customers at additional pharmacies in the near future. The listed price for a one-month supply of Wegovy remains at $1,349. Nonetheless, customers with insurance coverage for the obesity medication typically make a copayment not exceeding $25 per month.
On February 25th, Novo Nordisk’s rival, Eli Lilly, implemented a reduction in the monthly pricing for lower-dosage vials of Zepbound by $50 for cash-paying customers using the drug manufacturer’s LillyDirect website. Prices for Lilly varied depending on the dosage. Customers purchasing a monthly supply of 2.5 mg vials will now pay $349, while 5 mg vials are priced at $499. Additionally, Lilly introduced higher dosages of 7.5 mg and 10 mg at monthly rates of $599 and $699, respectively. The prices for higher dosages have been discounted to $499 per month for the first fill and all subsequent refills within a 45-day period.
These price adjustments come at a time when consumers are anticipated to lose access to more cost-effective, compounded variations of these weight-loss medications. Compounding pharmacies were previously permitted by the federal government to manufacture generic versions of medications during periods of scarcity.
