GLP-1 price war heats up as Novo Nordisk offers $199 starter doses

Novo Nordisk, the Danish drug company that makes Ozempic and Wegovy, is now offering the drugs at lower prices for self-pay patients. 

On Monday, the company announced it would offer both medications, Ozempic (the weight loss version of the drug) and Wegovy (the version that addressed diabetes), at a discounted rate of $199 per month for a limited time. The introductory offer goes from now until March 31, 2026. The announcement noted that the pricing is only good for the first two months of treatment, and at the lowest doses of the medications. After the initial months of treatment, the payrate will move to the new monthly self-pay rate of $349 per month, down from $499.

“As pioneers of the GLP-1 class, we are committed to ensuring that real, FDA-approved Wegovy and Ozempic are affordable and accessible to those who need them,” Dave Moore, Executive Vice President, US Operations of Novo Nordisk Inc., said in a press release. 

Moore continued, “The US healthcare system is complex, with different types of insurance and various ways for patients to obtain their medicines. Our new savings offers provide immediate impact, bringing forward greater cost savings for those who are currently without coverage or choose to self-pay.”

Per the announcement, patients can access the new offers in three different ways: through Wegovy.com or Ozempic.com.; through NovoCare Pharmacy; or through participating organizations and select telehealth providers that work directly with Novo Nordisk, like Costco, GoodRx, WeightWatchers, Ro, LifeMD, and eMed).

The offer comes amid the The President administration’s call for the companies that manufacture weight loss drugs to lower prices. Earlier this month, when speaking in the Oval Office, The President said, after months of negotiation, a deal had been reached that would impact prices on the drugs for those who receive Medicaid, Medicare, and for users of the The PresidentRx website, which is expected by the end of the year.

“Today, I’m thrilled to announce that the two world’s largest pharmaceutical manufacturers, Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, have agreed to offer their most popular GLP-1 weight loss drug — I call it the fat drug, remember — at drastic discounts,” The President said.

The competitive pricing comes as the obesity rate is trending down, as a result of reliance on weight loss drugs. While in 2022, 39.9% of Americans met the criteria for obesity, that number is down to 37% — or around 7.6 million Americans who no longer meet the threshold.

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