Novo Nordisk Offers Wegovy for $499 a Month in Direct-to-Consumer Program

Novo Nordisk launched a direct-to-consumer program last week to sell Wegovy at a reduced price for people who are uninsured or insured on commercial plans that don’t cover the obesity drug.

Through the NovoCare program, patients can purchase a month’s supply of Wegovy for $499. All dose strengths, from 0.25 milligrams to 2.4 milligrams, are priced the same. The list price for Wegovy is around $1,350 per month.

Novo Nordisk says that 90% of U.S. patients who take Wegovy have a co-pay of $0 to $25 per month. The new program intends to lower costs for people whose insurance plans don’t cover the cost of obesity medications. However, those on Medicare or Medicaid are ineligible for the program.

NovoCare also offers home deliveries and refill reminders for Wegovy prescriptions.

This initiative comes after the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) removed Wegovy from the drug shortage list in late February. When a drug is in shortage, compounding pharmacies can legally create off-brand versions of the drug. Insurance doesn’t cover the cost of compounded drugs because they are not approved by the FDA.

“NovoCare Pharmacy offers patients access to authentic, FDA-approved Wegovy, helping to avoid the significant risks that can be posed by the compounding marketplace, as warned by respected organizations, experts in the medical community, and the FDA,” the company said in a press release.

“With an FDA-approved medicine like Wegovy, healthcare professionals and patients can have clarity and confidence in knowing the medicine they are using has undergone rigorous review for safety, effectiveness, and quality.”

In recent years, telehealth companies have emerged to offer lower-cost, off-brand obesity medications. Companies such as Hims & Hers and Ro partner with state-licensed compounding pharmacies to provide unbranded semaglutide and tirzepatide at a fraction of the cost of brand-name versions. However, some companies and unregulated pharmacies have sold versions of these drugs that are neither FDA- nor state-regulated.

Prices for compounded semaglutide through telehealth providers ranged from $130 to $300 per month.

The FDA has set an April 22 deadline for traditional compounding pharmacies to transition patients from compounded semaglutide to the brand-name drug or an alternative.

Eli Lilly has expanded a similar program, called LillyDirect, to reduce the price of its obesity medication, Zepbound, for people lacking insurance coverage. Lilly is offering single-dose vials that patients self-administer using a needle and syringe. Prices vary by dose, and the highest-strength vials are not available through the program.

LillyDirect also provides telehealth consultation that allows patients to meet virtually with a provider to get a Zepbound prescription. This offering has raised concerns about overprescription.

In a statement posted last year, the American College of Physicians emphasized the importance of an “established and valid patient-physician relationship” for high-quality care.

“These direct-to-consumer services have the potential to leave patients confused and misinformed about medications. While efforts to remove barriers to care are important, they should not devalue the proven benefits of the patient-physician relationship,” the ACP said in the statement.

While patients using NovoCare will have access to a case manager to help answer questions about Wegovy, Novo Nordisk is not offering a telehealth service to dispense prescriptions.