Novo Nordisk announced Monday that it is significantly cutting the prices of its blockbuster GLP-1 drugs, Wegovy (for weight loss) and Ozempic (for diabetes), for cash-paying patients in the United States. The move comes as the company faces intensifying competition in the weight loss market, particularly from rival Eli Lilly, and follows direct pressure from the Trump administration to lower drug costs.
Immediate Price Reduction for Self-Pay Patients
For existing cash-paying patients, Novo Nordisk is lowering the monthly cost of most doses of Wegovy and Ozempic to $349, down from the previous price of $499. The highest 2mg dose of Ozempic will remain at $499 for now.
In an aggressive push to capture new customers, the company also unveiled a temporary introductory offer for new self-pay patients: the first two months of the lowest two doses of both drugs will be available for just $199 per month. These new, reduced prices are available immediately through the company’s direct-to-consumer channels and through partners like GoodRx and WeightWatchers, ahead of a timeline set in a recent deal with the White House.
Part of Broader Deal with Trump Administration
The price cuts are being rolled out following a major agreement struck earlier this month between Novo Nordisk, rival Eli Lilly, and the Trump administration. That deal aims to expand access to the drugs under Medicare and Medicaid and establish lower benchmark prices for self-pay customers through a new federal direct-to-consumer platform, “TrumpRx,” expected to launch next year.
Under the broader agreement, Medicare and Medicaid prices for the injectable GLP-1 drugs, including Wegovy and Ozempic, are expected to drop to $245 per month, with Medicare beneficiaries paying a co-pay of just $50 a month for the first time for obesity treatment. For cash-paying patients using the TrumpRx platform, the price of the injectable drugs is expected to start at around $350.
Novo Nordisk’s aggressive pricing strategy is viewed as a significant effort to fend off competition. Beyond Eli Lilly’s rival GLP-1 drugs, Zepbound and Mounjaro, the Danish drugmaker has been struggling to compete with compounding pharmacies that have been offering cheaper, unauthorized versions of the popular weight-loss treatments.
While the new price cuts are substantial—bringing the cost down from a list price that can exceed $1,300 per month—experts note that the $349 per month price tag will still present an affordability challenge for many Americans who lack insurance coverage for the medications.
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