Novo Nordisk Cuts Wegovy and Ozempic Self-Pay Price to $199 in New Access Push

Wegovy and Ozempic shown with a $199 price tag and a diverse group of patients (editorial illustration).

Novo Nordisk Rolls Out $199 Introductory Offer for Wegovy and Ozempic as Competition Heats Up in Obesity and Diabetes Market

Novo Nordisk is accelerating its access strategy in the U.S. self-pay market with a new pricing initiative offering the first two doses of Wegovy® and Ozempic® for $199 a month a dramatic markdown designed to widen affordability while fending off rising competition in the GLP-1 category. Announced on November 17, the limited-time offer applies to new self-pay patients through March 31, 2026, providing early access to lower pricing originally slated for later in 2026.

The move signals a strategic pivot, Novo Nordisk is not only aiming to keep its dominant position in the obesity and diabetes markets, but also proactively responding to mounting pressures from intense patient demand to safety concerns around compounded semaglutide alternatives and the broader political push for price reductions across chronic-disease therapies.

A Steep Price Cut That Pulls Forward 2026 Commitments

The promotional $199 price applies to the two lowest-dose starters of both products 0.25 mg and 0.5 mg representing the first phase of typical dose escalation. After the introductory two months, patients will transition to a newly lowered self-pay monthly price of $349, reduced from $499, marking an additional permanent cut.

These reductions bring forward Novo Nordisk’s prior commitment under its agreement with the U.S. Administration to expand access and reduce out-of-pocket costs in 2026. With obesity and diabetes treatment access under heightened scrutiny, the company is signaling that it wants to set the tone now months ahead of schedule.

Dave Moore, Executive Vice President of U.S. Operations, framed the initiative as a meaningful step toward immediate impact for uninsured or underinsured patients. “Our new savings offers provide immediate impact, bringing forward greater cost savings for those who are currently without coverage or choose to self-pay,” he said, emphasizing the company’s intention to combat the “complexity of the U.S. healthcare system” while safeguarding access to “authentic, FDA-approved” semaglutide products.

Multichannel Access Strategy to Capture a Growing Self-Pay Market

The outreach strategy is broad: more than 70,000 pharmacies, NovoCare® home-delivery services, and major digital-health partners including Costco, GoodRx, WeightWatchers, Ro, LifeMD, and eMed are participating.

This reflects a deliberate effort to meet patients where they seek treatment today, at retail pharmacies, through telehealth, and via integrated lifestyle platforms. For obesity management in particular, digital-first providers have become significant prescription generators, making these partnerships critical to maintaining market control.

NovoCare Pharmacy’s role also expands, with benefits verification, home delivery, refill reminders, and live support to retain self-pay patients over longer treatment cycles.

Fighting the Rise of Compounded Semaglutide

Behind this pricing strategy lies another urgent issue the proliferation of non-FDA-approved compounded semaglutide. These products have found traction among price-sensitive consumers unable to afford branded GLP-1 therapies.

Novo Nordisk’s announcement explicitly positions the offer as a safety effort encouraging patients to choose “real, FDA-approved semaglutide medicines” and avoid “risky, potentially unsafe knockoffs.” With reports of contamination, incorrect dosing, and counterfeit distribution on the rise, the company is attempting to reclaim a patient population at risk of drifting outside regulated channels.

Wegovy and Ozempic remain the only FDA-approved semaglutide-based medicines with multiple chronic-disease indications across obesity, type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and cardiovascular risk reduction. Millions in the U.S. already use semaglutide for weight management or metabolic control, but significant gaps remain for uninsured patients who cannot access commercial-savings programs.

By opening a lower-cost entry point, Novo Nordisk is building a pipeline of future insured patients while preventing drop-offs during early dose escalation historically a vulnerable period when costs and side effects collide.

Pressure Mounts in a Surging and Politicized GLP-1 Market

The company’s move also reflects growing market and political scrutiny. Obesity now affects 40% of U.S. adults, with annual treatment costs climbing sharply across health systems. With GLP-1 agonists expected to surpass $100 billion in annual global revenue in coming years, pricing strategies have become a national talking point.

Novo Nordisk’s preemptive price cut may set the stage for competitive responses from Eli Lilly, especially as Lilly’s tirzepatide products continue to gain share in both obesity and diabetes segments.

As GLP-1 shortages, counterfeit concerns, and affordability debates escalate, Novo’s pricing initiative is not only a commercial strategy but also a signal to policymakers that the industry is adapting.