Overview
- The 1.5 mg starter dose went on sale Monday across 70,000+ U.S. pharmacies, including CVS and Costco, and through providers such as Ro, LifeMD, Weight Watchers, GoodRx, and NovoCare, with higher doses due by the end of the week.
- Cash-pay pricing starts at $149 per month for 1.5 mg and for 4 mg until April 15, after which 4 mg rises to $199, while 9 mg and 25 mg are $299; some insured patients can pay as little as $25.
- Under a November deal with the White House’s TrumpRx program, the $149 starter dose is also available via the direct-to-consumer channel, shaping pricing expectations as Eli Lilly’s oral rival orforglipron remains under FDA review.
- Cleared by the FDA on Dec. 22, the pill contains semaglutide like injectable Wegovy and Ozempic and is approved to reduce major cardiovascular events in adults with obesity and established cardiovascular disease.
- Patients must take the pill on an empty stomach with a small amount of water and wait 30 minutes before food, drink, or other medicines; trials showed about 14% average weight loss overall with typical gastrointestinal side effects.