Wegovy (Semaglutide): Complete 2026 Guide
Pricing, coupons, insurance coverage, and access pathways for the FDA-approved GLP-1 for chronic weight management. Pill and pen compared.
Wegovy (semaglutide) is Novo Nordisk's FDA-approved GLP-1 for chronic weight management. List price is about $1,349 per 28-day supply. Commercially insured patients can pay as low as $25 per month via the Savings Card. Cash-pay patients have two formulations. The once-daily Wegovy pill is $149 per month for the 1.5mg dose, $199 per month for the 4mg dose, and $299 per month for 9mg and 25mg, with no published end date on any tier. The weekly Wegovy pen is $199 per month for new patients (first 2 fills, through December 31, 2026) then $349 per month, or $399 per month for Wegovy HD 7.2mg. Medicare Part D already covers Wegovy for cardiovascular event risk reduction in eligible patients, and the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge covers Wegovy at $50 per month from July 1, 2026 through December 31, 2027 for Part D enrollees who meet its criteria, which exclude anyone with type 2 diabetes.
What is Wegovy?
Wegovy is the brand name for semaglutide when prescribed for chronic weight management. It comes in two FDA-approved formulations: a weekly subcutaneous pen (0.25mg through 2.4mg, plus the higher-dose 7.2mg Wegovy HD) and a once-daily oral tablet (1.5mg, 4mg, 9mg, 25mg). The pill is the only FDA-approved semaglutide tablet for weight loss. The pivotal STEP-1 trial (NEJM, 2021) showed mean body-weight reduction of about 14.9 percent at 2.4 mg over 68 weeks.
Ozempic is the same molecule marketed for type 2 diabetes. Rybelsus is oral semaglutide for diabetes. The difference between these products comes down to FDA-approved indication and insurance coverage rules, not active ingredient.
Pricing snapshot
From $25 per month with insurance and a Savings Card, up to $1,349 per month at list price. Pill starter doses are currently the cheapest legitimate cash-pay path.
Pill vs pen, at a glance
Both formulations use the same active ingredient. The tradeoff is convenience, efficacy, and cost.
Wegovy pill
- Only FDA-approved oral semaglutide for weight loss
- Doses: 1.5mg, 4mg, 9mg, 25mg
- Mean weight loss 13.6 percent at 64 to 72 weeks in trials
- Cash pay: $149/mo for 1.5mg, $199/mo for 4mg, $299/mo for 9mg and 25mg
Wegovy pen
- Established formulation, most clinical data
- Doses: 0.25mg, 0.5mg, 1mg, 1.7mg, 2.4mg, plus Wegovy HD 7.2mg
- Mean weight loss 18.8 percent at 64 to 72 weeks in trials
- Cash pay: $199/mo new-patient intro, $349/mo standard, $399/mo HD
For the full comparison including efficacy trial data and who should choose which, see the Wegovy pill vs injection guide.
Explore the guide
Four dedicated pages cover the details you need: the full titration schedule, every active coupon, the cost breakdown for pill and pen, and patient reviews.
Recent pricing news
Four events in the last year reshaped the Wegovy pricing landscape.
- February 23, 2026
Wegovy pill self-pay pricing expanded
Novo Nordisk expanded the Wegovy pill self-pay program. Re-verified on 2026-09-01 against the NovoCare Pharmacy Wegovy page and the NovoCare Wegovy savings-offer page: 1.5 mg is $149/month, 4 mg is $199/month, and 9 mg and 25 mg are $299/month. NovoCare now states these tiers with no end date on any of them.
- July 1, 2026In progress
Medicare GLP-1 Bridge launched - Wegovy IS covered
CMS launched the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge on July 1, 2026; it runs through December 31, 2027 and gives eligible Medicare Part D enrollees certain GLP-1 medicines for $50 per month. Wegovy (injection or tablet) is on the covered list, alongside Foundayo (tablet) and the Zepbound KwikPen only. Eligibility is narrow: you must have Part D, you must NOT already be able to get a GLP-1 through your own plan, you must NOT have type 2 diabetes, moderate-to-severe sleep apnea or fatty liver disease, and you must be 18+ with a BMI of 35+, or 30+ with certain heart failure, hard-to-control high blood pressure or chronic kidney disease stage 3a+, or 27+ with prediabetes or a prior heart attack, stroke or blocked arteries. The $50 does not count toward the Part D deductible or the yearly out-of-pocket limit.
Status: Live since 2026-07-01. Verified 2026-08-18 against the Medicare.gov fact sheet, CMS Product No. 12234 (June 2026).
- March 1, 2025
NovoCare Self-Pay launched at $499
Novo launched direct-to-consumer self-pay program initially at $499/month for the pen. Prices have since adjusted down for new-patient introductory periods ($199/month for 2 fills).
- Invalid DateIn progress
Patent expiration (generic semaglutide eligibility)
The earlier note in this record, which gave a much nearer expiry year, was wrong. The primary US semaglutide compound patent, with its patent term extension, runs to 2031, and Novo Nordisk's own FY2025 Form 20-F puts US compound patent expiry for the semaglutide brands at 2032, with method-of-use patents running later still. No generic semaglutide is approved or marketed in the US, and none is imminent.
Status: Anticipated. Monitor FDA approvals annually.
Frequently asked
The top questions we see about Wegovy access and cost. Full FAQ on the coupon page.
Pricing verified against Novo Nordisk's official wegovy.com and novocare.com pages, including the NovoCare Wegovy price guide (US26NC00049, April 2026), and against the Medicare.gov GLP-1 Bridge fact sheet (CMS Product No. 12234, June 2026). We do not accept payment for inclusion in any comparison. Medical content reviewed by Dr. Golsa Gholampour, MD. Each source and the date it was last opened is recorded with the page.
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