Costco has struck an settlement with drugmaker Novo Nordisk to make anti-obesity GLP-1 medicines reminiscent of Ozempic and Wegovy accessible to its members at roughly half the same old value.
By means of the shop’s prescription program, members with a legitimate prescription can purchase a four-week provide of the injectables for $499. The provide is offered solely to these paying out of pocket, since many insurers nonetheless don’t cowl these medicines.
The transfer comes as GLP-1 drug costs have soared as provide continues to be more and more restricted. This has led some folks to hunt out cheaper, compounded variations, a development that’s prompted requires tighter federal oversight.
“We wish to be sure that we provide the true, genuine Wegovy and Ozempic the place sufferers search care,” David Moore, Novo Nordisk’s US president, advised NBC Information.
Each Ozempic and Wegovy include semaglutide, an injectable remedy used to handle sort 2 diabetes and promote weight reduction. Semaglutide works by mimicking a pure hormone generally known as glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), which helps regulate urge for food and insulin manufacturing. By decreasing starvation, it might probably result in vital weight reduction.
Public familiarity with the drug has grown rapidly. A survey performed in August discovered that greater than 80% of Individuals had heard no less than “just a little bit” about semaglutide, whereas about one-third had both tried it or expressed curiosity in doing so.
Novo Nordisk has stated that greater than 200,000 Wegovy prescriptions are stuffed within the US every week. Nonetheless, the corporate faces stiff competitors from pharmacies and clinics promoting cheaper, copycat formulations of GLP-1 medicine.
As of August 2025, almost 12% of Individuals have used GLP-1 medicine for weight reduction, together with about one-fifth of ladies aged 50 to 64.
Costco’s entry into the GLP-1 market might additional increase entry and demand, particularly provided that many well being plans proceed to disclaim protection for the medicine.
