What GLP-1s Actually Cost
Reference pricing for every GLP-1 drug: wholesale acquisition cost, estimated employer net cost after rebates, and consumer self-pay through manufacturer programs. Includes an interactive plan cost calculator and a regulatory timeline through 2029.
Last updated: May 4, 2026
GLP-1s have three different prices depending on who is paying. Wholesale acquisition cost (WAC) is the manufacturer's list price to wholesalers before any rebates or discounts. Employer net cost is what plans pay after rebates negotiated by pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) — a number that varies by contract and is often opaque even to the employer purchasing the benefit. Consumer self-pay is what patients pay directly through manufacturer direct-to-consumer (DTC) programs like NovoCare and LillyDirect, bypassing insurance entirely. The table below shows all three, for every FDA-approved GLP-1, grouped by manufacturer.
The data
GLP-1 pricing, by drug
All prices shown are monthly. Employer net cost is an estimate derived by applying class-level rebate rates from Hernandez & Sullivan (Obesity, 2024) to current WAC — ~41% for obesity GLP-1s, ~56.5% for diabetes GLP-1s. It does not reflect any specific PBM contract.
| Drug ▼ | WAC ▼ | Employer net cost ▼ | Consumer self-pay ▼ | Last verified ▼ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Novo Nordisk | ||||
| Ozempic semaglutide, injection Type 2 diabetes, CKD, CV risk | $1,027.51 | ~$447 | $349–$499ᴬ | May 4, 2026 |
| Rybelsus semaglutide, oral tablet Type 2 diabetes | $1,027.51 | ~$447 | No DTC program | May 4, 2026 |
| Wegovy semaglutide, injection Obesity, CV risk | $1,349.02 | ~$796 | $349–$399ᴮ | May 4, 2026 |
| Wegovy semaglutide, oral tablet Obesity | $1,349.02 | ~$796 | $299 | May 4, 2026 |
| Eli Lilly | ||||
| Mounjaro tirzepatide, injection Type 2 diabetes | $1,069.08 | ~$465 | DTC announced Nov '25, not yet launchedᶜ | May 4, 2026 |
| Zepbound tirzepatide, injection Obesity, OSA | $1,086 | ~$641 | $399–$449ᴰ | May 4, 2026 |
| Foundayo orforglipron, oral tablet Obesity | Not publicly disclosedᴱ | Not yet estimable | $299 (maintenance)ᶠ | May 4, 2026 |
WAC sources: Ozempic and Rybelsus — NovoCare list price page. Wegovy — Novo Nordisk Feb 24, 2026 press release. Mounjaro — pricinginfo.lilly.com/mounjaro (via AnalySource/First Databank). Zepbound — pricinginfo.lilly.com/zepbound (via AnalySource/First Databank).
Employer net: Derived from Hernandez & Sullivan, Obesity, Mar 2024 (PubMed 38228492). Obesity GLP-1s shown at ~41% average class rebate; diabetes GLP-1s at ~56.5% (midpoint of the 54–59% class range). These are class-level estimates, not drug- or contract-specific figures.
Consumer self-pay: All prices are standard offers from manufacturer direct-to-consumer programs — NovoCare for Novo Nordisk drugs, LillyDirect for Eli Lilly drugs. Introductory, promotional, and starter-dose offers are excluded. Primary sources: NovoCare Wegovy Price Guide (PDF); Ozempic Savings Offer; Zepbound savings; Foundayo coverage & savings.
A. Ozempic self-pay. $349/mo for 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, and 1 mg doses; $499/mo for 2 mg. Excludes the $199 introductory offer (first 2 fills of 0.25/0.5 mg, available through June 30, 2026).
B. Wegovy self-pay. $349/mo for 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg, and 2.4 mg doses; $399/mo for Wegovy HD 7.2 mg.
C. Mounjaro DTC. Lilly's Nov 6, 2025 agreement with the Trump administration announced Mounjaro would be added to LillyDirect at pricing 50–60% below list; as of April 2026, the program has not launched and no specific price has been published.
D. Zepbound self-pay. $399/mo for 5 mg; $449/mo for 7.5, 10, 12.5, and 15 mg doses. The $449 price for higher doses requires refill within 45 days of the previous order — otherwise standard prices apply ($499–$1,049). Excludes the 2.5 mg starter dose ($299/mo).
E. Foundayo WAC. Eli Lilly has not disclosed Foundayo's WAC in press materials or on pricinginfo.lilly.com. A Jefferies analyst note (via Fierce Pharma, April 2026) cited $649/mo; this has not been confirmed by Lilly. Employer net cost is unknown — no rebate data exists for a drug launched April 2026.
F. Foundayo self-pay. $299/mo shown reflects maintenance doses (5.5 mg, 9 mg, 14.5 mg, 17.2 mg) via the LillyDirect Self-Pay Savings Card. Titration doses priced separately: 0.8 mg at $149/mo and 2.5 mg at $199/mo. The $299 price for 14.5 mg and 17.2 mg requires refill within 45 days.
Model it
What would GLP-1s cost your plan?
Adjust the inputs below to estimate GLP-1 plan costs under different pricing scenarios. All outputs update in real time.
GLP-1 plan cost estimator
Employer net costs are estimates derived from published discount rates (Hernandez & Sullivan, Obesity, 2024). They do not reflect any individual employer's actual PBM contract. Actual costs may be higher or lower. Self-pay comparison uses a representative value for each drug — actual self-pay ranges vary by dose and program (see pricing table above). "Annual cost per treated member" reflects the months-on-treatment input, not a full 12-month rate when dialed below 12. This calculator does not incorporate PBM administrative fees or member cost-sharing offsets.
What's changing
Regulatory & pricing timeline through 2029
Dated events that will affect GLP-1 economics for employer-sponsored plans. Entries are effective dates unless noted. Full source citations are in the sources list.
IRA negotiated Medicare prices also take effect ($274 Ozempic/Rybelsus, $385 Wegovy), though CMS has indicated the lower MFN price of $245/mo will supersede the IRA price for Ozempic and Wegovy. How the two pricing frameworks interact operationally has not been finalized. Eli Lilly has not announced comparable WAC cuts for tirzepatide products.
Methodology
How this page was built
All data is drawn from publicly available sources: manufacturer press releases and list-price pages, government filings, peer-reviewed studies, and regulatory analyses. Where a source is uncertain or unavailable, we state so explicitly rather than inferring. WAC figures come from manufacturer publications where available. Employer net cost estimates apply the class-level discount rates from Hernandez & Sullivan (Obesity, 2024) to current WAC — ~41% for obesity GLP-1s, ~56.5% for diabetes GLP-1s — and are labeled as estimates, not observed plan-level data. Consumer self-pay pricing reflects only standard offers from manufacturer programs; introductory, promotional, and starter-dose offers are excluded and noted in the footnotes.
This page is reviewed and updated as new data becomes available. Corrections and updates can be submitted via the contact page.
References
Sources
Questions about this data? Corrections or updates?
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