TLDR
- Amazon Pharmacy now offers Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy weight-loss pill with prices starting at $25 per month for insured customers and $149 for cash-paying patients.
- The oral Wegovy pill contains the same active ingredient as the injectable version and was FDA-approved in December 2024.
- Amazon will add Wegovy to its prescription vending kiosks in select One Medical clinics within the coming weeks.
- The pill is available at over 70,000 U.S. pharmacies including CVS and Costco, plus telehealth providers like Ro, LifeMD, and WeightWatchers.
- Novo Nordisk is targeting cash-paying consumers with the $149 monthly price point, shifting from its traditional insurance-based business model.
Amazon Pharmacy announced Friday it will offer Novo Nordisk’s oral Wegovy weight-loss pill through its digital pharmacy service. The move comes just days after the Danish drugmaker began rolling out the pill in the U.S. on Monday.
Eligible customers with commercial insurance can access the medication for $25 per month. Those without insurance coverage can purchase the pill through a cash-pay option starting at $149 monthly.
The e-commerce giant launched Amazon Pharmacy in 2020 following its $750 million acquisition of online pharmacy PillPack in 2018. The company expanded further into healthcare with its $3.9 billion purchase of One Medical in 2022.
Amazon said the Wegovy pill will be available through its prescription vending kiosks located in select One Medical clinics within the next few weeks. The company offers same-day prescription delivery to nearly half of U.S. consumers.
The FDA approved the oral version of Wegovy in December. The pill contains the same active ingredient as Novo Nordisk’s injectable treatments sold under the Wegovy and Ozempic brand names.
Expanding Distribution Network
Novo Nordisk is making the pill available through more than 70,000 U.S. pharmacies. CVS and Costco are among the major retailers carrying the medication.
Telehealth providers including Ro, LifeMD, WeightWatchers, GoodRx, and Novo Nordisk’s own NovoCare Pharmacy also offer the treatment. Amazon Pharmacy is collaborating with WeightWatchers, Wheel, and 9amHealth to expand access.
The pill will also be available on President Donald Trump’s direct-to-consumer website, TrumpRx, which launches in January. Novo Nordisk struck a deal with his administration in November to offer the starting dose at $149 monthly.
New Business Model
The success of the oral pill depends on attracting cash-paying consumers who lack insurance coverage. This represents a shift from Novo Nordisk’s traditional business model where drug pricing is managed through health insurance plans.
The company is offering doses of 1.5 milligrams and 4 mg of the once-daily pill. The $149 monthly price is among the lowest in the obesity and diabetes drug market.
Health experts believe oral options could reach entirely new patients. Some people avoid injectable medications due to fear of needles or the perception that injections are too aggressive.
Novo Nordisk issued profit warnings and saw its shares slide last year. The pill offers more flexibility and could help revive the company’s fortunes.
Analysts estimate Amazon Pharmacy generates about $2 billion in annual revenue. The company has not disclosed its total user count.
In October, WeightWatchers partnered with Amazon Pharmacy to deliver weight-loss medications for its members. Amazon Pharmacy also works with Eli Lilly to deliver prescription medications, including its obesity drug Zepbound.
Eli Lilly has a competing obesity pill that is expected to receive FDA approval later this year. The weekly injections from Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have dominated the obesity and diabetes drug space.
The Wegovy pill entered the U.S. market on Monday with Novo Nordisk offering the starting dose at $149 per month for self-paying patients.
