(LOOTPRESS) – Novo Nordisk announced Monday that it is lowering the cost of its diabetes drug Ozempic for U.S. patients who pay out of pocket, offering the medication for $499 per month—less than half its current list price of nearly $1,350.
The discounted price applies to three dose sizes of the weekly injection and is available through Novo Nordisk’s official website, its patient assistance program, and the company’s new direct-to-consumer online pharmacy, which ships Ozempic directly to patients. Drug savings company GoodRx will also make the $499 price available at more than 70,000 pharmacies nationwide, including for Wegovy, Ozempic’s sister drug for weight loss.
The move comes as drugmakers face increasing political and public pressure to lower costs. In July, President Donald Trump sent letters to Novo Nordisk and other pharmaceutical companies urging them to cut prices and expand direct-to-consumer options.
Novo Nordisk said the lower cash price will help expand access for people with Type 2 diabetes who lack insurance coverage. The company made a similar move in March, offering Wegovy at half its list price for uninsured patients.
While Ozempic is widely covered by insurance, executives say some patients still turn to compounded, unapproved versions of semaglutide—the active ingredient in both Ozempic and Wegovy—due to high costs.
“If even a single patient feels the need to use unsafe and unapproved knockoff alternatives, that’s one too many,” said Dave Moore, Novo Nordisk’s executive vice president of U.S. operations.
The change also reflects growing competition with Eli Lilly, which has cut prices for its own obesity and diabetes treatments as both companies battle for dominance in the booming GLP-1 drug market. These drugs, which mimic gut hormones, help regulate blood sugar and suppress appetite.
