How much does semaglutide cost in 2026? Every pathway compared

Three forms of semaglutide — three very different prices

Semaglutide is one molecule with three commercial forms: Wegovy (FDA-approved for obesity, injection), Ozempic (FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes, injection, widely used off-label for weight), and compounded semaglutide (pharmacy-mixed, available through 503A pharmacies via telehealth). Each has a distinct price structure, access pathway, and risk profile. Understanding which you're looking at — and why — is the first step.

Compounded semaglutide: $150–$297/mo — the cheapest option

Compounded semaglutide dispensed through 503A pharmacies via telehealth is consistently the cheapest semaglutide option for cash-pay patients. Prices range from about $150 to $297 a month depending on provider, dose, and how membership or visit fees are billed. The medication is pharmacy-mixed rather than an FDA-approved finished product.

The legal landscape has narrowed since the FDA declared the semaglutide shortage resolved. What remains is a 503A individual-patient pathway: a compounding pharmacy dispensing for a specific patient with a documented clinical need. Most major telehealth providers operate this way today. Confirm with any provider how they document and source compounded semaglutide before enrolling.

Fridays — $150–$249/mo all-in

Fridays offers the lowest verified compounded semaglutide starting price — approximately $150 a month for the starter dose, covering medication, clinical consult, and shipping in one price. Prices rise through the titration schedule. Ask for the full dose ladder before committing.

Mochi Health — flat medication fee plus membership

Mochi charges $99 a month for semaglutide at any dose — dose-flat pricing that doesn't rise with each titration step. The separate $79 monthly membership brings the all-in total to about $178. For patients who anticipate a long titration or who need to hold at a higher dose, the flat medication fee can outperform a lower-headlined competitor whose per-dose price climbs.

Henry Meds — bundled $197–$297/mo

Henry Meds bundles everything — visits, medication, supplies, shipping — into a single monthly price that varies with dose. Compounded semaglutide runs about $197 at starter doses and up to $297 at higher doses. No long-term commitment required.

Brand Wegovy cost: retail vs. NovoCare vs. insurance

Wegovy's retail list price is approximately $1,350 a month — the number you'll see on the package insert and at the pharmacy counter without any program. Almost no one actually pays this. The real price depends on which access route you use.

With commercial insurance + NovoCare savings card: $25/mo

If your commercial insurance covers Wegovy and you enroll in the NovoCare savings card, your monthly out-of-pocket is capped at $25. This is the lowest-cost pathway for Wegovy — significantly cheaper than any compounded option. The qualifier is real commercial insurance coverage for Wegovy, which requires the right plan, the right BMI, and often prior authorization. Cannot be used with Medicare or Medicaid. Medicare members have a separate route: the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge pilot prices any Wegovy dose at a flat $50 a month from July 1, 2026 through December 31, 2027 for members who meet its BMI criteria.

Without insurance: NovoCare self-pay from $149 (pill) or $199 (pen)

Novo Nordisk's direct self-pay program now covers both Wegovy formats: the pill at $149 a month at 1.5 mg, $199 at 4 mg and $299 at the 9 and 25 mg maintenance doses, and the pen at $199 a month for your first two fills (through December 31, 2026), then $349 a month at standard doses or $399 at the 7.2 mg HD strength. This is FDA-approved, brand-name Wegovy shipped from the NovoCare pharmacy — not compounded — and GoodRx now surfaces the same Novo cash price at retail pharmacies rather than a separate discount.

Ozempic cost: diabetes drug, weight use, complex pricing

Ozempic (semaglutide injection) is FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes and commonly used off-label for weight loss. Its price structure differs from Wegovy because coverage is tied to a diabetes diagnosis, not obesity.

Retail pharmacy Ozempic without any discount runs roughly $900–$1,000 a month. With a GoodRx coupon, the range drops to approximately $700–$800 depending on dose and pharmacy. Novo Nordisk also has a NovoCare self-pay program for Ozempic, priced at $349–$499 a month depending on dose. For women with a type 2 diabetes diagnosis, insurance coverage of Ozempic is more reliably available than Wegovy coverage — confirm with your plan.

Why semaglutide matters for women in perimenopause

The weight changes that often accompany perimenopause are hormonally driven: estrogen decline shifts fat toward the abdomen, worsens insulin sensitivity, and disrupts the GLP-1 and leptin pathways that regulate appetite. Semaglutide addresses these mechanisms directly — which is why obesity-medicine physicians increasingly see GLP-1 medications as well-matched to the perimenopausal metabolic environment, not just as generic weight loss drugs.