Wegovy price cut: Novo Nordisk cuts the price of the weight-loss drug for the uninsured
Wegovy price cut: Novo Nordisk cuts the price of the weight-loss drug for the uninsured
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Will Ozempic, Wegovy be affordable in the near future?
Could the high cost of hugely popular weight loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy be coming down in the near future?
Cheddar
Novo Nordisk is cutting the price of its weight-loss drug Wegovy to $499 per month for cash-paying customers who buy through its NovoCare Pharmacy.
The discounted price is aimed at uninsured patients and those whose insurance doesn't cover weight-loss medications like Wegovy.
The move follows a similar price reduction by competitor Eli Lilly for its weight-loss drug Mounjaro.
Less than two weeks after Zepbound-maker Eli Lilly reduced the price of the weight-loss drug, competitor Novo Nordisk said Wednesday it would cut the price of its popular weight-loss drug Wegovy for cash-paying customers.
Novo Nordisk said patients who are prescribed Wegovy can purchase the obesity drug through the company's NovoCare Pharmacy for $499 per month. The injectable medication's price is the same for five dosages ranging from 0.25 to 2.4 milligrams and will be shipped directly to consumers' homes.
The Danish drugmaker said the new price could appeal to the uninsured and those whose insurance doesn't cover the class of obesity medications called GLP-1, or glucagon-like peptide-1, medications.
While health insurers often cover diabetes drugs such as Ozempic and Mounjaro, they are less likely to cover medication for obesity. A 2024 survey by benefits consultant Mercer said less than half of large employers covered GLP-1 drugs for obesity. That means consumers often face large bills for drugs that cost more than $1,000 per month before rebates or discounts.
How can I buy discounted Wegovy?
Novo Nordisk's discounted price is available only to consumers who buy the medication through the company's NovoCare Pharmacy. Cash-paying customers can purchase the drug for $650 at other pharmacies. Novo Nordisk spokesperson Jamie Bennett said the company plans to extend the $499 price to cash-paying customers at other pharmacies "in the near future."
The list price for Wegovy remains at $1,349 for a one-month supply. Customers whose insurance covers the obesity drug typically pay a copay of no more than $25 per month, the company said.
On Feb. 25, Novo Nordisk's competitor, Eli Lilly, cut the monthly price for lower-dosage vials of Zepbound by $50 for consumers who pay cash via the drugmaker's LillyDirect website. Lilly's prices differed based on dosage. Customers who buy a month's supply of 2.5 mg vials will pay $349, and 5 mg vials will cost $499.
Lilly also announced higher dosages of 7.5 mg and 10 mg at monthly prices of $599 and $699, respectively. Higher dosage prices will be discounted to $499 per month for the first fill, as well as refills within 45 days.
The price cuts arrive as consumers are expected to lose access to less expensive, compounded versions of the weight-loss medications.
The federal government allows compounding pharmacies to sell copies of drugs when the medications are in short supply. However, the FDA recently declared that blockbuster weight-loss drugs Wegovy and Zepbound are no longer in shortage. That means consumers who visit telehealth companies or other prescribers to get cheaper, compounded versions will need to get their medications elsewhere.
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