Ozempic vs Wegovy: one molecule, two prices, two coverage rules
Ozempic and Wegovy are both semaglutide; in cash they cost the same $349 a month at most doses, yet their list prices are $322 apart.
Ozempic and Wegovy contain the same active substance, semaglutide, in weekly injections made by Novo Nordisk, and the question of why one would cost more than the other comes up constantly. In the self-pay channel they now cost the same: $349 a month for Ozempic 0.25 to 1 mg and for Wegovy 0.25 to 2.4 mg, through NovoCare Pharmacy or TrumpRx. The differences sit at the top doses, $499 for Ozempic 2 mg and $399 for Wegovy HD 7.2 mg, and in the list prices, $1,028 for an Ozempic pen against $1,349 for a box of Wegovy pens. What separates them most is coverage. Ozempic is a diabetes drug that Part D and most employer plans cover; Wegovy is approved for weight reduction, which Part D excludes, and covered by Medicare only for heart risk, MASH or through the $50 GLP-1 Bridge. From 2027 Medicare pays the same negotiated $274 for both.
Difference over 2026
$0
Same yearly cost
Your price per month
- Ozempic 1 mg$349
Self-pay price published by NovoCare Pharmacy / TrumpRx, the same through both.
- Wegovy 2.4 mg$349
Self-pay price published by NovoCare Pharmacy / TrumpRx, the same through both.
List price per month
- Ozempic$1,028
- Wegovy$1,349
$4,188 against $4,188 a year. Estimate only, not medical advice: switching drugs is a decision for your prescriber. Method
Prices read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and data
Price by price
| Price | Ozempic | Wegovy |
|---|---|---|
| Self-pay, usual doses | $349 | $349 |
| Self-pay, top dose | $499 (2 mg) | $399 (7.2 mg HD) |
| New patient, first two fills | $199 | $199 |
| List price a month | $1,028 | $1,349 |
| Pharmacy cost (NADAC) | $996 | $1,307 |
| Medicare 2027 negotiated | $274 | $274 |
| Medicare GLP-1 Bridge | not included | $50 |
Why the list prices differ
A list price is set per product, not per molecule, and Novo Nordisk does not publish its reasons. What can be read in the data is the packaging: an Ozempic month is one multi-dose pen, a Wegovy month is four single-dose pens. None of this changes the price a cash payer sees today, which Novo Nordisk aligned at $349 for the common doses.
Why coverage differs, and why it matters more
Insurers pay for the use on the label. Ozempic prescribed for type 2 diabetes is covered by Part D and most employer plans, with the Novo Nordisk savings card available to commercially insured patients. Ozempic prescribed only for weight loss is off-label, and plans routinely deny it; Medicare cannot cover it. Wegovy for weight reduction is excluded from Part D by law, but it is in the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge and is covered by Part D for its heart and liver indications. In 2027 the two share Medicare’s negotiated price, because CMS negotiated semaglutide as a single drug across Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy.