By I. Edwards HealthDay Reporter<\/b>
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FRIDAY, March 7, 2025 (HealthDay News) — The makers of two popular weight-loss drugs \u2014 Wegovy and Zepbound \u2014 are cutting prices to make the medications more affordable for people without insurance.<\/p>\n
Novo Nordisk, the Danish company behind Wegovy<\/a>, announced Wednesday that it has lowered its monthly cost by 23%. The new price — $499 per month — takes effect immediately. The price had been $650 a month.<\/p>\n The discount applies to all dose levels of the medication, NBC News <\/em>reported.<\/p>\n The lower price is available to both uninsured patients and people whose insurance does not cover weight-loss drugs, the company also said.<\/p>\n Last week, Eli Lilly, the maker of Zepbound<\/a>, also cut prices for its starter dose to $349 per month.<\/p>\n Larger doses will now cost $499 per month through the company’s self-pay program.<\/p>\n People using these GLP-1 meds<\/a> start with smaller doses and gradually increase to higher amounts over time.<\/p>\n The price cuts come as supply issues ease. Both medications have recently been removed from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s shortage list, allowing the companies to meet growing demand.<\/p>\n As a result, compounding pharmacies, which were allowed to make off-brand versions during the shortage, will need to wind down production.<\/p>\n Both Wegovy and Zepbound belong to a class of drugs that have been shown to help people lose weight by reducing appetite and increasing the feelings of fullness.<\/p>\n More information<\/strong><\/p>\n The Mayo Clinic has more on prescription weight-loss drugs<\/a>.<\/p>\n