This week, medication savings platform GoodRx announced a partnership with Novo Nordisk – the company behind Ozempic and Wegovy – to offer the drugs at nearly half price for self-paying patients.
“All strengths of Ozempic (semaglutide) and Wegovy (semaglutide) pens are available to eligible self-paying patients for $499-per-month through GoodRx, effective today,” GoodRx announced Monday. “This collaboration significantly lowers the price available on GoodRx for two of the most in-demand GLP-1 medications nationwide, expanding access for those who lack adequate insurance coverage.”
Audacy previously reported that a month’s supply of these could cost between $900 and $1,300 out-of-pocket. GoodRx’s new price will be available through more than 70,000 retail pharmacies.
Ozempic and Wegovy are glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) drugs, They work by increasing the amount of insulin the body makes, Dr. Diana Thiara, an internist at UCSF Health and director of the UCSF Medical Weight Management Program, explained to Audacy in 2023. They also decrease gastric emptying which promotes a feeling of fullness.
“You actually feel more mentally full and physically full, and then your body is just able to process blood sugar better because it’s making more insulin with the help of these medications,” Thiara said.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration first approved the use of Ozempic for patients with type 2 diabetes in 2017. Since then, the use of Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy has increased to help multiple conditions.
They have also become well-known for their effectiveness in helping people lose weight.
In May, Audacy covered discussion regarding whether the drugs should be covered by Medicare and Medicaid with help from Dr. Anand Parekh of the Bipartisan Policy Center. He said that Congress has traditionally considered weight loss drugs to be cosmetic. However, they GLP-1 medications are now used for a variety of conditions.
Last March, the FDA approved a new indication for use for Wegovy injection to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack and stroke “in adults with cardiovascular disease and either obesity or overweight.” This year, the FDA approved Ozempic “as the only GLP-1 RA to reduce the risk of worsening kidney disease and cardiovascular death in adults with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease,” and Novo Nordisk said last week that the FDA approved another indication for Wegovy “for treatment of noncirrhotic metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) in adults with moderate to advanced liver fibrosis.”
Earlier this month, the FDA also issued a warning about “unapproved versions” of the medications. According to the administration, these unapproved versions can be “risky for patients, as unapproved versions do not undergo FDA’s review for safety, effectiveness and quality before they are marketed.”
Research published Aug. 6 by RAND showed that that 12% of Americans have already used GLP-1 drugs for weight loss. Use was most common in women between the ages of 50 and 64. GoodRX said that around 17 million people have looked for savings on the medications through its platform in the past year and its research indicates that 19 million people lack coverage for GLP-1s prescribed for weight loss.
“Demand for GLP-1 medications is at an all-time high, but too many Americans still face barriers accessing them,” said Wendy Barnes, president and CEO of GoodRx. “By partnering with Novo Nordisk, we’re taking a significant step forward in making these innovative brand-name treatments more accessible for millions of people who need them.”
Dave Moore, executive vice president of U.S. Operations of Novo Nordisk Inc., said that: “This initiative enables us to meet GoodRx patients where they are with our authentic GLP-1 medicines in addition to supporting the launch of the new Ozempic self-pay offer for type 2 diabetes patients at an unprecedented price.”