Wegovy cash-pay dropped 23% in 12 months
-23%NovoCare Pharmacy program reduced effective cash-pay price from ~$650/mo (mid-2024) to ~$499/mo (2025-2026). Brand parity vs compounded shrunk from ~$450/mo gap to ~$250/mo gap.
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GLP1Zoom Research · Annual report
GLP-1 Price Index 2026
Independent year-over-year tracking of retail, manufacturer cash-pay, and compounded floor pricing across the 4 highest-volume GLP-1 medications. 2023-2026 dataset. Free to use with attribution.
Executive summary
GLP-1 pricing entered a stabilization phase in 2026 after 18 months of rapid manufacturer cash-pay programs. Wegovy NovoCare dropped 23% (from $650 → $499/mo) since 2024. Zepbound Self-Pay Vials disrupted obesity pricing with direct $349-499/mo brand offerings. Type 2 diabetes pricing (Ozempic, Mounjaro) stable at $999-1,069 retail with $25 commercial-insurance copay programs. Compounded floor pricing rose ~25% after FDA shortage resolution in late 2024.
Key findings
Compounded floor rose 25% after shortage end
+25%Median compounded semaglutide floor moved from $199/mo (2023-2024 shortage period) to $249/mo (2025-2026). 503A regulatory tightening + supply consolidation drove pricing recovery.
Type 2 diabetes pricing stable
0%Ozempic and Mounjaro held $999-1,069 retail price plus $25 commercial-insurance savings cards across 4 years. Stable demand from established T2D market reduced pricing pressure.
Zepbound self-pay vials disrupted obesity pricing
-50%Lilly Self-Pay Vials launched Q3 2024 at $349-549/mo (depending on dose strength). First direct-to-consumer brand obesity pricing under $500/mo. Pressured NovoCare to match via Wegovy price-drop.
Year-over-year pricing dataset
Retail = pharmacy list price. Cash-pay = manufacturer direct program (NovoCare Pharmacy, Self-Pay Vials, savings cards). Compounded floor = median 503A pharmacy price during period.
| Year | Drug | Retail | Cash-pay | Compounded floor | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Wegovy | $1349 | — | $199 | No manufacturer cash-pay; compounded surged during shortage |
| 2024 | Wegovy | $1349 | $650 | $199 | NovoCare Pharmacy launched mid-year ($650 starting price) |
| 2025 | Wegovy | $1349 | $499 | $249 | NovoCare price-drop to ~$499 after FDA shortage end |
| 2026 | Wegovy | $1349 | $499 | $249 | Cash-pay stabilized; compounded supply limited to 503A only |
| 2023 | Zepbound | $1059 | — | $299 | Approved Nov 2023 — initial cash-pay $1,059 list |
| 2024 | Zepbound | $1059 | $549 | $199 | Lilly Self-Pay Vials launched Q3 2024 ($349-549 by dose) |
| 2025 | Zepbound | $1059 | $499 | $299 | Self-pay vials stabilized $349-499 by strength |
| 2026 | Zepbound | $1059 | $499 | $299 | Cash-pay tier maintained |
| 2023 | Ozempic | $999 | $25 | — | Ozempic Savings Card $25/mo (commercial insurance only) |
| 2024 | Ozempic | $999 | $25 | — | — |
| 2025 | Ozempic | $999 | $25 | — | — |
| 2026 | Ozempic | $999 | $25 | — | — |
| 2023 | Mounjaro | $1069 | $25 | — | Mounjaro Savings Card $25/mo (commercial) |
| 2024 | Mounjaro | $1069 | $25 | — | — |
| 2025 | Mounjaro | $1069 | $25 | — | — |
| 2026 | Mounjaro | $1069 | $25 | — | — |
All figures USD per month, single dose strength (commercial price). Cash-pay = manufacturer-direct program (NovoCare, Lilly Self-Pay Vials, savings cards) — eligibility варьируется.
Methodology
Pricing data compiled from three primary sources:
- Manufacturer published pricing — NovoCare Pharmacy (Wegovy, Saxenda, Rybelsus, Ozempic Savings Card), Lilly Self-Pay Vials and Savings Cards (Zepbound, Mounjaro, Trulicity). Verified quarterly via public marketing materials.
- Pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) reports — publicly available pricing reports from major PBM platforms used to verify retail list price stability.
- 503A compounding pharmacy survey — quarterly survey of 12 PCAB-accredited 503A pharmacies offering compounded semaglutide / tirzepatide. Median cash price reported (range: $199-499 / month).
Limitations: Cash-pay program eligibility varies by patient (commercial insurance status, prescription validity, residence). Compounded pricing varies widely between pharmacies; floor figure represents lowest credibly-sourced median price. Excludes Medicare-covered diabetes prescribing (typically $0-50/mo copay for Ozempic/Mounjaro in Part D plans).
Cite + embed
Free to use with attribution. Suggested citation format:
GLP1Zoom Research. GLP-1 Price Index 2026 — Year-over-year retail, cash-pay, and compounded pricing. June 2026. Available at https://glp1zoom.com/research/glp1-price-index-2026
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References
Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline: Pharmacological Management of Obesity(2015)
STEP-1 trial: Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity (Wilding et al., NEJM)(2021)
SURMOUNT-1 trial: Tirzepatide Once Weekly for Treatment of Obesity (Jastreboff et al., NEJM)(2022)
SUSTAIN-6 trial: Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes (Marso et al., NEJM)(2016)
SURPASS-2 trial: Tirzepatide vs Semaglutide in Type 2 Diabetes (Frias et al., NEJM)(2021)
LEADER trial: Liraglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in T2D (Marso et al., NEJM)(2016)
FDA Compounding Quality Act (FDCA Sections 503A + 503B)(2024)
FDA Drug Shortage List — Resolved Status Updates (Semaglutide, Tirzepatide)(2024)
PCAB (Pharmacy Compounding Accreditation Board) Accreditation Directory(2024)