Wegovy semaglutide tablets.
Michael Siluk | Universal Image Group | fake images
Nordisk on Tuesday launched a multi-month subscription program for its Wegovy obesity drugs that aims to ensure cash-paying patients see lower, “predictable” monthly prices.
Eligible patients can choose between three-, six- or 12-month subscriptions for the Wegovy shot or the two highest doses of the newly launched pill under the same brand. Longer plans offer lower monthly prices, and the company expects people to save up to $1,200 a year on the shot and up to $600 a year on the pill, compared to paying for their individual dose each month, according to a statement from Novo.
Patients can expect to pay fixed monthly prices, even if they switch to different doses, the company said. The subscription program will be available starting Tuesday at several of Novo's telehealth partners, including Ro, WeightWatchers and LifeMD. Sesame, him and her and more are expected to be added soon.
The first-of-its-kind offering is “an opportunity to help patients not only start but continue therapy and help them manage the ups and downs of some of the pricing considerations,” regardless of whether they are starting treatment or currently taking the drug, said Ed Cinca, head of marketing and patient solutions at Novo.
The inability to continue taking GLP-1 is a long-standing problem due to factors such as difficulty accessing medications and gastrointestinal side effects; A 2025 study estimates that about 65% of obese patients discontinue treatment within a year.
Wegovy Subscription Prices and Estimated Savings
Injection Subscription Plans (doses of 0.25, 0.5, 1.7 and 2.4 milligrams)
- 3 months: $329 per month, savings of $240 per year
- 6 months: $299 per month, savings of $600 per year
- 12 months: $249 per month, savings of $1,200 per year
Pill Subscription Plans (doses of 9 and 25 milligrams)
- 3 months: $289 per month, savings of $120 per year
- 6 months: $269 per month, savings of $360 per year
- 12 months: $249 per month, savings of $600 per year
The new program also comes as Novo's pill, which has seen explosive uptake since its U.S. launch in January, will face new competition from an upcoming oral GLP-1 from its main rival. Eli Lilly at the end of this year. Lilly is currently the dominant player in the branded LPG-1 market in the United States, with an estimated 60% share, while Novo has about 39%.
The Wegovy pill has largely reached people who have not previously received GLP-1 injections, making it crucial for Novo to recruit as many new patients as it can before a competitor arrives.
As Novo Nordisk subscription plans roll out, cash-paying patients can still pay $149 a month for the pill's lowest doses, which are 1.5 and 4 milligrams. But starting in September, the 4-milligram dose will cost $199 a month. Meanwhile, Wegovy's newly approved 7.2-milligram dose will be added to the subscription program at a later date.
Cinca emphasized that patients can cancel their subscription while it is active if they no longer wish to enroll.
“We want to help patients identify a path that can help them feel comfortable treating [obesity] in the long term,” he added.
Cinca said Novo is not yet offering the program at its NovoCare direct-to-consumer pharmacy, but added that there is “an opportunity to evaluate how it works and then roll it out” through that platform over time.
