First Month $199 Wegovy Offer: Novo Should Cement This Price

If you blinked, you've missed some major shifts in the GLP-1 world this week. This morning, Ro dropped what is now the lowest entry point for an FDA approved GLP-1. You can get your first month of branded Wegovy for $199, bundled with a discounted $45 Ro Body membership that includes provider access and all the support you need to get started. Now that the FDA has shut the door on mass compounded semaglutide, this is the most affordable and safest way to get started on a real FDA approved GLP-1 in the United States.

Via NovoCare, patients can also access this through their own provider as well. Where Ro truly stands out is that they make it the easiest place to start. They check your insurance first via their insurance checker tool (which provides an additional $50 off your first month) and, if coverage isn't there, move you seamlessly to the discounted cash pay program, shipping Wegovy straight to your door.

There's no gatekeeping here, just a platform that is built to take down as many barriers as possible. For anyone left stranded by today’s ending of mass compounded semaglutide, this is certainly a gesture by Novo Nordisk (they could have offered nothing), but it feels more like a bone being thrown to the masses. Ro's integration with Novo Nordisk does deliver authentic Wegovy straight to your door, no strange workarounds, just the real thing, prescribed and shipped all through the convenience of the Ro app. At $199 all-in (assuming you use the Ro checker tool) that first month actually does feels like a small breakthrough for access.

But here is the catch. After that first month, unless your insurance steps up, you find yourself right back in the old grind. It's either cash at $499, or facing prior authorizations, or prices that put this medication out of reach for many. Ro's latest Coverage Checker data does look promising on the surface, as 43% of people now have coverage for a GLP-1 for weight loss, and nearly everyone is covered if they have diabetes. Insurance coverage is actually higher than most people realize.

If you are able to obtain that successful prior authorization, the good news is that GLP-1‘s for weight management become quite affordable.

Here is where Ro shines. They are truly best in class when it comes to successfully navigating the prior authorization process. Many from the OTP community have leveraged Ro’s expertise for exactly this purpose. Ro's platform and team handle paperwork and appeals better than just about anyone. If there is a path through the insurance maze, Ro will find it. Plus, with yesterday's news of Cigna capping out of pocket costs for Wegovy and Zepbound to just $200, some truly positive strides are being made towards accessibility.

Getting back to those with obesity having no coverage (still in the cash pay lane), after the $199 introductory month, you are staring at the full $499 a month price tag plus the membership fee. That is a steep climb for anyone used to compounded prices. It’s an especially steep climb for Wegovy which has been shown to be inferior to Lilly’s Zepbound.

Ro also offers all available Zepbound vials to qualified patients, offering an easy and safe starting point, and the support is built in.

So where does that leave us? For new patients who missed out on the compounding gold rush, Ro's $199 Wegovy launch is the best starting deal on a real FDA approved GLP-1 right now. But after that first month, some of the same barriers remain. Prior authorizations, high cash prices, and a system that keeps pushing obesity patients aside. Ro deserves credit for building a platform that actually helps patients seamlessly make it through this challenging process, but the fight for real coverage and permanent access is still far from over.

A note to Novo:

Novo, thanks for the consolation, but in light of Zepbound's clear superiority, Wegovy is a $200 a month drug, not $499. Let's cement this new starter pricing, and make this a real win for patients.

Disclosure: Ro is a proud sponsor of the On The Pen Podcast, and I serve as a community advisor to the company. My work with Ro is rooted in a shared commitment to expanding access and fighting for better outcomes for everyone navigating the the disease of obesity. As always, my coverage here reflects my honest perspective, grounded in both personal experience and the voices of this community.