Amazon announced on Friday that it now offers the Wegovy Weight Loss Pill through its digital pharmacy. Novo Nordisk began rolling out an oral version of its injectable obesity drug Wegovy in the U.S. on Monday. The starting dose for cash-paying patients is priced at $149 per month. Patients with insurance coverage can access the pill for as little as $25 a month.
The pill enters the market with some of the lowest cash prices in the growing obesity and diabetes drug market. This space has been dominated by costly weekly injections from companies like Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. Wegovy’s availability on Amazon signals Novo Nordisk’s push to expand beyond traditional channels and reach new patients.
Amazon said eligible customers with insurance can pay as little as $25 for a one-month supply of the drug. The cash-pay option starts at $149 a month. In the coming weeks, Amazon will offer the Wegovy Weight Loss Pill through prescription vending kiosks at select One Medical clinics.
Amazon’s Push Into Healthcare
Amazon launched Amazon Pharmacy in 2020 as part of its push into the U.S. healthcare market. The service originated from Amazon’s acquisition of online pharmacy PillPack for $750 million in 2018. In 2022, Amazon expanded further by buying primary-care clinic One Medical for $3.9 billion.
Amazon attracts users to its service by offering fast delivery and price transparency. It provides same-day prescription delivery to nearly half of U.S. consumers.
While Amazon hasn’t disclosed how many users it has, analysts estimate the service could generate about $2 billion in annual revenue. In October, Weight Watchers announced a partnership with Amazon Pharmacy to deliver weight loss medications to its members. Amazon Pharmacy has also worked with Eli Lilly to deliver certain prescription medications, including Zepbound, purchased through the drugmaker’s website.
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Expanding Access to Obesity Treatment
After launching this week, Wegovy is now available at over 70,000 U.S. pharmacies like CVS and Costco. It is also available through telehealth providers such as Ro, LifeMD, Weight Watchers, GoodRx, and Novo Nordisk’s NovoCare Pharmacy. Cash-paying patients can access the starting dose for $149 a month on TrumpRx, a direct-to-consumer website Novo Nordisk launched with Trump’s administration in November. The site will launch in January, though the specific date is unclear.
Health experts believe oral options like the Wegovy Weight Loss Pill could expand obesity treatment access in the U.S. Many new patients were previously hesitant to use injections due to fear of needles or concerns about the treatment’s seriousness.
Eli Lilly has a competing obesity pill, which is expected to gain FDA approval later this year, adding to the competition in the obesity treatment market.
