Will Ozempic and Wegovy be affordable in the near future?
Will the high cost of the extremely popular weight loss pills be able to get Ozempic and Wegovi down in the near future?
Cheddar
- Novo Nordisk is reducing the price of the Weightloss Drug Wegovy to $499 per month for customers who purchase through Novocare Pharmacy.
- Discounted prices are for uninsured patients and patients who do not cover weight loss medications like Wegovy.
- The move follows a similar price cut by competitor Eli Lily on weight loss drug Munjaro.
It’s less than two weeks since Zepbound-Maker maker Eli Lilly lowered the price of weight loss pills, competitor Novo Nordisk said Wednesday it would lower the prices of popular weight loss pills for cash-paying customers.
Novo Nordisk said patients who have been prescribed Wegovy can purchase obesity medications for $499 a month through the company’s Novocare pharmacy. The price of the injection is the same for five doses ranging from 0.25 to 2.4 milligrams, and is shipped directly to the consumer’s home.
The Danish drugmaker said the new prices could appeal to uninsured people and those who do not have insurance that does not cover a class of obesity drugs called GLP-1 or glucagon-like peptide-1.
Health insurers often cover diabetes medications such as Ozempic and Munjaro, but they are less likely to cover obesity medications. A 2024 survey by benefits consultant Mercer said less than half of large employers covered GLP-1 drugs for obesity. This means that consumers often face massive bills for drugs that cost more than $1,000 a month before rebates or discounts.
How do I buy discount Wegovy?
Discounted prices for Novo Nordisk are only available to consumers who purchase medicines through the company’s Novocare pharmacy. Cash pay clients can purchase medicines at other pharmacies for $650. Novo Nordisk spokesman Jamie Bennett said the company plans to extend the $499 price to customers paying cash at other pharmacies “in the near future.”
Wegovy’s list price remains $1,349 for a month’s supply. Customers who cover obesity medications typically pay a co-payment of less than $25 a month, the company said.
February 25th, Novo Nordisk’s rival, Elilily Reduce monthly prices For consumers paying cash through drug makers, for low volume vials of Zepbound lillydirect Website. Lily prices vary based on dosage. Customers who purchase a one-month supply of 2.5 mg vials pay $349, while 5 mg vials cost $499.
Lily also announced high doses of 7.5 mg and 10 mg at monthly prices of $599 and $699 respectively. Dosage increases will be discounted to $499 per month for the first fill and will be replenished within 45 days.
Price reductions arrive as consumers are expected to lose access to cheaper, combined versions of weight loss medication.
The federal government allows copies of pharmacies to be sold when there is a shortage of pharmacies. However, the FDA recently declared that it is not lacking in the blockbuster weight loss pills Wegovy and Zepbound. This means that consumers who visit telehealth companies and other prescribers to get a cheaper, combined version should get the medication elsewhere.
