LONDON — In August 2025, Novo Nordisk announced a significant price cut for its blockbuster drug, Ozempic, which is offered to its non-insured consumers for the treatment of diabetes and obesity. The company aims to make FDA approved semaglutide therapies safer and more financially accessible, compared to compounded weight-loss alternatives. The Ozempic price cut could slow the shift of consumers toward alternative treatments, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.
Compounded alternatives to GLP-1 therapies have increasingly been adopted by patients seeking more affordable weight-loss solutions. Drug compounding involves altering or combining ingredients to create a medication tailored to an individual’s needs. However, unlike FDA-approved therapies such as Ozempic, compounded versions may pose higher safety and efficacy risks. The growing reliance on these alternatives highlights the urgency of making regulated and clinically tested treatments more financially accessible.
In March, Novo Nordisk’s effective weight-loss therapy, Wegovy, dropped in price from around $1,000 to $499 per month for non-insured consumers. The same price cut was quickly adopted for Ozempic, which also dropped to a monthly cost of $499 for non-insured consumers. Patients can access the discounted drugs through a partnership with telehealth company, GoodRX, and Novo Nordisk’s cash pay pharmacy, NovoCare.
Gaffar Aga, Strategic Intelligence Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Reducing prices can help protect leadership positions for the companies. Furthermore, while cutting prices may reduce profits in the short term, it also puts pressure on rival companies for the overall pricing structure of the market. As a result, Novo Nordisk may aim to focus on volume driven growth to meet rising global demand.”
The partnership between Novo Nordisk and GoodRX has enabled Ozempic and Wegovy to be offered to non-insured consumers for the same price across pharmacies in the US, providing greater patient accessibility and ultimately improving patient outcomes across the nation.
George El-Helou, Strategic Intelligence Analyst at GlobalData, concludes: “Despite Novo Nordisk substantially reducing the price of Ozempic to $499 per month, only a small proportion of consumers are non-insured. The majority are covered under health insurance and receive treatment for $25 or less. The real impact of this cut will be seen through the different adjustments rival companies trigger in order to remain competitive within this market.”
