What Wegovy and Zepbound cost in year one, dose by dose
Brand-name GLP-1 pens and pills are priced per dose, and the labeled dose goes up over the first months. So the number that matters is not the starting price but the first-year total. This page adds it up from the manufacturers’ own self-pay prices (NovoCare Pharmacy and LillyDirect), the $25 savings-card copay for commercially insured patients, the $50 Medicare GLP-1 Bridge copay, and list price.
Wegovy pen first-year cost through NovoCare Pharmacy self-pay
Novo Nordisk sells the Wegovy pen (weekly single-dose pen, 4 pens per 28-day fill). Following the labeled escalation, the first twelve fills cost $3,888; a full year at the 2.4 mg maintenance dose is $4,188.
| Dose | Fills | Price per fill | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.25 mg | fill 1 | $199 | $199 |
| 0.5 mg | fill 2 | $199 | $199 |
| 1 mg | fill 3 | $349 | $349 |
| 1.7 mg | fill 4 | $349 | $349 |
| 2.4 mg | fills 5–12 | $349 | $2,792 |
| Year one | 12 fills | $3,888 |
Self-pay vs savings card vs Medicare Bridge vs list price, Wegovy pen
- Self-pay through NovoCare Pharmacy self-pay, labeled ladder: $3,888 in year one.
- Savings card with commercial coverage: $25 a month, $300 a year, subject to the card’s monthly and annual caps.
- Medicare GLP-1 Bridge: $50 a month for eligible Part D beneficiaries, $600 a year, July 1, 2026 to December 31, 2027.
- List price: $16,188.24 a year, the figure insurers negotiate from, not a price anyone is quoted at checkout.
Fine print on Wegovy pen pricing
- The $199 price applies to each of the first two fills of the 0.25 mg or 0.5 mg pen for new self-pay patients with a prescription written on or before December 31, 2026.
- The 7.2 mg Wegovy HD pen is $399 a fill and is not part of the labeled escalation ladder.
- Novo Nordisk states self-pay pricing is scheduled to be updated after December 31, 2026.
- Dose and timing come from the prescriber and the label; this page only adds up published prices.
Wegovy pen through telehealth vs direct from Novo Nordisk
A telehealth company can prescribe the Wegovy pen, but it does not make the pen or pill cheaper. Quotes that include the medication sit at or above list price, and the lower “Wegovy pen” telehealth quotes are consultation fees with the drug billed separately by the pharmacy. The comparison on /programs/wegovy shows which is which, and the full cost guide covers insurance, appeals, and the savings programs.
Sources for Wegovy pen prices
- Novo Nordisk (NovoCare Pharmacy): Wegovy self-pay offer accessed 10 September 2026
- Novo Nordisk (NovoCare): Explaining the Wegovy list price accessed 10 September 2026
- Novo Nordisk (NovoCare): Wegovy savings offer terms accessed 10 September 2026
- DailyMed, National Library of Medicine: Wegovy prescribing information (dose escalation) accessed 10 September 2026
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: Medicare GLP-1 Bridge accessed 10 September 2026
Wegovy pill first-year cost through NovoCare Pharmacy self-pay
Novo Nordisk sells the Wegovy pill (daily tablet, 30 tablets per fill). Following the labeled escalation, the first twelve fills cost $3,338; a full year at the 25 mg maintenance dose is $3,588.
| Dose | Fills | Price per fill | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 mg | fill 1 | $149 | $149 |
| 4 mg | fill 2 | $199 | $199 |
| 9 mg | fill 3 | $299 | $299 |
| 25 mg | fills 4–12 | $299 | $2,691 |
| Year one | 12 fills | $3,338 |
Self-pay vs savings card vs Medicare Bridge vs list price, Wegovy pill
- Self-pay through NovoCare Pharmacy self-pay, labeled ladder: $3,338 in year one.
- Savings card with commercial coverage: $25 a month, $300 a year, subject to the card’s monthly and annual caps.
- Medicare GLP-1 Bridge: $50 a month for eligible Part D beneficiaries, $600 a year, July 1, 2026 to December 31, 2027.
- List price: $16,188.24 a year, the figure insurers negotiate from, not a price anyone is quoted at checkout.
Fine print on Wegovy pill pricing
- A limited-time $149 price on the 4 mg tablet applied only to prescriptions written on or before August 31, 2026 and has expired; the 4 mg tablet is $199.
- Dose and timing come from the prescriber and the label; this page only adds up published prices.
Wegovy pill through telehealth vs direct from Novo Nordisk
A telehealth company can prescribe the Wegovy pill, but it does not make the pen or pill cheaper. Quotes that include the medication sit at or above list price, and the lower “Wegovy pill” telehealth quotes are consultation fees with the drug billed separately by the pharmacy. The comparison on /programs/wegovy shows which is which, and the full cost guide covers insurance, appeals, and the savings programs.
Sources for Wegovy pill prices
- Novo Nordisk (NovoCare Pharmacy): Wegovy self-pay offer accessed 10 September 2026
- Novo Nordisk (NovoCare): Explaining the Wegovy list price accessed 10 September 2026
- Novo Nordisk (NovoCare): Wegovy savings offer terms accessed 10 September 2026
- DailyMed, National Library of Medicine: Wegovy prescribing information (dose escalation) accessed 10 September 2026
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: Medicare GLP-1 Bridge accessed 10 September 2026
Zepbound vials or KwikPen first-year cost through LillyDirect self-pay
Eli Lilly sells the Zepbound vials or KwikPen (four single-dose vials or one KwikPen per 28-day fill). Following the labeled escalation, the first twelve fills cost $7,488; a full year at the 10 mg maintenance dose is $8,388.
| Dose | Fills | Price per fill | Subtotal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5 mg | fill 1 | $299 | $299 |
| 5 mg | fill 2 | $399 | $399 |
| 7.5 mg | fill 3 | $499 | $499 |
| 10 mg | fills 4–12 | $699 | $6,291 |
| Year one | 12 fills | $7,488 |
Self-pay vs savings card vs Medicare Bridge vs list price, Zepbound vials or KwikPen
- Self-pay through LillyDirect self-pay, labeled ladder: $7,488 in year one.
- Savings card with commercial coverage: $25 a month, $300 a year, subject to the card’s monthly and annual caps.
- Medicare GLP-1 Bridge: $50 a month for eligible Part D beneficiaries, $600 a year, July 1, 2026 to December 31, 2027.
- List price: $5,988 to $13,036.44 a year, the figure insurers negotiate from, not a price anyone is quoted at checkout.
Fine print on Zepbound vials or KwikPen pricing
- The 12.5 mg and 15 mg doses are also $699 a fill, so a ladder that keeps climbing costs the same per month as staying at 10 mg.
- A $449 purchase offer applies to the 7.5 mg and higher KwikPen doses and continues only while each refill is bought within 45 days of the previous delivery.
- The savings card copay applies to the single-dose pen with commercial coverage; the Medicare Bridge covers the KwikPen only.
- Dose and timing come from the prescriber and the label; this page only adds up published prices.
Zepbound vials or KwikPen through telehealth vs direct from Eli Lilly
A telehealth company can prescribe the Zepbound vials or KwikPen, but it does not make the pen or pill cheaper. Quotes that include the medication sit at or above list price, and the lower “Zepbound vials or KwikPen” telehealth quotes are consultation fees with the drug billed separately by the pharmacy. The comparison on /programs/zepbound shows which is which, and the full cost guide covers insurance, appeals, and the savings programs.
Sources for Zepbound vials or KwikPen prices
- Eli Lilly: Zepbound pricing information accessed 10 September 2026
- Eli Lilly: Zepbound coverage and savings accessed 10 September 2026
- DailyMed, National Library of Medicine: Zepbound prescribing information (dose escalation) accessed 10 September 2026
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: Medicare GLP-1 Bridge accessed 10 September 2026
Common questions about brand-name GLP-1 costs
- How much does the Wegovy pen cost for a full year self-pay?
- Following the labeled dose ladder, the first year of the Wegovy pen costs $3,888 through NovoCare Pharmacy self-pay: 1 fill at 0.25 mg for $199, 1 fill at 0.5 mg for $199, 1 fill at 1 mg for $349, 1 fill at 1.7 mg for $349, 8 fills at 2.4 mg for $349. A full year at the 2.4 mg maintenance dose is $4,188. Prices as published by Novo Nordisk on 10 September 2026.
- How much does the Wegovy pill cost for a full year self-pay?
- Following the labeled dose ladder, the first year of the Wegovy pill costs $3,338 through NovoCare Pharmacy self-pay: 1 fill at 1.5 mg for $149, 1 fill at 4 mg for $199, 1 fill at 9 mg for $299, 9 fills at 25 mg for $299. A full year at the 25 mg maintenance dose is $3,588. Prices as published by Novo Nordisk on 10 September 2026.
- How much does the Zepbound vials or KwikPen cost for a full year self-pay?
- Following the labeled dose ladder, the first year of the Zepbound vials or KwikPen costs $7,488 through LillyDirect self-pay: 1 fill at 2.5 mg for $299, 1 fill at 5 mg for $399, 1 fill at 7.5 mg for $499, 9 fills at 10 mg for $699. A full year at the 10 mg maintenance dose is $8,388. Prices as published by Eli Lilly on 10 September 2026.
Compounded alternatives
Compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide are different products from Wegovy and Zepbound, not FDA-approved, and priced per month rather than per dose. Published telehealth prices start around $79 a month for compounded semaglutide and $129 for compounded tirzepatide on 12-month plans; see compounded semaglutide prices and compounded tirzepatide prices.
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