TLDR
- Novo Nordisk dropped Wegovy and Ozempic prices to $349 per month for cash-paying customers, down from $499
- New patients can get the first two months at $199 for the lowest doses, through March 31
- The price cuts follow a Trump administration deal that will launch TrumpRx platform in early 2026
- About 1 in 8 adults currently use GLP-1 drugs, with cost being a major reason people stop treatment
- Novo faces growing competition from Eli Lilly and compounding pharmacies offering cheaper alternatives
Novo Nordisk announced new pricing Monday for its weight loss and diabetes medications Wegovy and Ozempic. The company cut monthly costs for self-pay patients to $349, down from the previous $499 price point.
The drugmaker also introduced a starter offer. New cash-paying customers can purchase the two lowest doses of either medication for $199 per month during their first two months of treatment.
The promotional pricing expires March 31. After the two-month period, patients will pay the new standard rate of $349 monthly.
The 2-milligram dose of Ozempic remains priced at $499 per month. List prices for GLP-1 drugs typically range from $1,000 to $1,350, though insured patients usually pay less.
These discounts apply to customers using Novo Nordisk’s direct-to-consumer channels. They’re also available through partners including Costco, GoodRx, Weight Watchers, Ro, LifeMD, and eMed. More than 70,000 retail pharmacies will offer the new pricing.
Market Pressure Mounts
The announcement comes as Novo Nordisk faces mounting competition. Eli Lilly has expanded its market presence with Zepbound, its own GLP-1 medication.
Compounding pharmacies have also cut into sales by offering less expensive versions of these drugs. According to BMO Capital Markets analyst Evan Seigerman, the reduced prices likely reflect Novo’s efforts to reclaim market share.
Eli Lilly currently charges $349 monthly for starter doses of Zepbound through its direct channel. Higher doses cost $499 per month.
The cash market represents about 10% of total Wegovy prescriptions in the United States. Dave Moore, executive vice president of US operations, said direct pay options are drawing strong interest from patients.
TrumpRx Deal Details
The pricing changes follow last week’s announcement of a Trump administration agreement. Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly struck deals to expand access to Medicare and Medicaid markets in exchange for price reductions.
Under that arrangement, consumers buying injectable GLP-1 medications directly from manufacturers will pay an average of $350 monthly initially. The companies committed to reducing prices to about $250 over two years.
If oral GLP-1 tablets receive FDA approval, the lowest dose will cost $149. The agreement takes effect when TrumpRx launches in January 2026.
The administration’s direct-to-consumer platform aims to broaden access to these medications. Medicare coverage for obesity drugs will expand in certain cases under the deals.
A KFF Health Tracking Poll released Friday found roughly 1 in 8 adults currently use a GLP-1 drug. About a quarter of insured users who have taken these medications said they paid the full cost themselves.
Cost ranks among the most common reasons people stop using GLP-1 drugs, according to the poll. Insurance coverage for Wegovy as a weight loss treatment remains limited compared to Ozempic’s diabetes coverage.
Novo Nordisk launched its direct-to-consumer pharmacy earlier this year, initially pricing Wegovy at $499 monthly. The company began offering Ozempic at $499 in August for cash-paying patients.
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