Wegovy to be sold on Hims, Ro and LifeMD for reduced price
Consumers looking to start the popular weight loss drug Wegovy but lacking insurance coverage will soon have a new option.
Novo Nordisk, the maker of Wegovy, announced exclusively on "Good Morning America" Tuesday that the medication will soon be available for purchase through the telehealth companies Ro, Hims and LifeMD for a reduced price of $499 per month.
The Wegovy medication will come in the same auto-injector pens that people using insurance receive from their pharmacy.
Consumers will also need to pay a monthly subscription fee charged by the telehealth service, which includes services like nutrition support and 24/7 support from a clinician. For example, Hims will charge $100 for the monthly subscription, which also includes a monthly tele-visit with a healthcare provider who can issue a prescription and monitor progress.
The new option will be available for consumers who have a prescription for Wegovy but do not have insurance coverage for the medication, which is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for weight loss in people with obesity or who are overweight with additional risks for cardiovascular disease.
Without insurance coverage, the cost of a weight loss medication like Wegovy can run more than $1,000 a month.
Insurance coverage for weight loss medications varies, depending on everything from a person's medical diagnosis to where they live and their insurance plan.
In March, Novo Nordisk also began offering consumers who lack insurance coverage the option to buy Wegovy through its own NovoCare Pharmacy at a discounted price of $499 per month.
Wegovy is part of a class of drugs called GLP-1 Receptor Agonists that help people increase the amount of insulin in their body to lower the amount of sugar in their blood.
Semaglutide, the drugs' active ingredient, works by slowing down the movement of food through the stomach and curbing appetite, thereby causing weight loss.
Among all medications used for weight loss, the most commonly reported side effects are nausea and constipation, but irreversible gallbladder and pancreatic disease is also reported.
Makers of these drugs recommend having a conversation about the side effect profile and personalized risks with a healthcare professional before starting.
Ely Lilly, a competitor of Novo Nordisk, sells their popular Zepbound weight loss medication directly from their own pharmacy and through some telehealth companies for people not using insurance for between $349 and $499 per month, depending on dosage. When purchased directly, the Zepbound medication comes in vials and requires a manual syringe.
Dr. Tara Narula, ABC News chief medical correspondent, noted that there are both upsides and downsides to obtaining drugs used for weight loss through telehealth platforms.
While the platforms offer access and affordability, Narula, a practicing cardiologist, said she worries that the platforms do not offer consumers a longstanding relationship with a medical provider and may not provide as much oversight or assistance if a consumer is experiencing side effects of the drugs, for example.
"There are definitely risks and concerns with using the telehealth platform," she said, while also adding, "Clearly there's benefits."
