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: September 9, 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. These modeled values use historical discounts and are not verified current employer prices. They do 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 | Self-pay options listed; price not verifiedᶜ | May 4, 2026 |
| Zepbound tirzepatide, injection Obesity, OSA | $1,086 | ~$641 | $399–$449ᴰ | May 4, 2026 |
| Foundayo orforglipron, oral tablet Obesity | $649ᴱ | Not yet estimable | $299 (maintenance)ᶠ | Sep 9, 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 December 31, 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 now directs patients whose commercial or government insurance does not cover Mounjaro, and patients without insurance, to LillyDirect self-pay savings options. A current DTC price was not independently verified in this update.
D. Zepbound self-pay. $399/mo for 5 mg; $449/mo for 7.5, 10, 12.5, and 15 mg doses. For the single-patient-use KwikPen, continuing the $449 offer requires a refill purchase within 45 days of delivery/receipt of the previous fill; otherwise regular KwikPen prices apply ($499 for 7.5 mg; $699 for 10, 12.5, and 15 mg). Excludes the 2.5 mg starter dose ($299/mo).
E. Foundayo WAC. Lilly publishes a WAC of $649 per 30-tablet bottle for all six strengths in its manufacturer price disclosure. Employer net cost remains unknown; no drug-specific rebate estimate is provided here.
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 a refill purchase within 45 days of delivery/receipt of the previous fill. Through December 31, 2026, temporary offers reduce 2.5 mg to $149/mo and 5.5 mg to $199/mo; these promotional prices are excluded from the table.
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. Foundayo's 30% default discount is a modeling assumption, not a published rebate. 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 (CMS package examples: $276.78 for an Ozempic 4 mg/3 mL pen or 30 Rybelsus 7 mg tablets; $385.63 for four Wegovy 2.4 mg pens). CMS's $274 headline figure is a standardized 30-day price for the combined semaglutide group. The Medicare GLP-1 Bridge has separate $245 net pricing for eligible drugs outside the regular Part D benefit; it does not establish a blanket replacement for these Part D prices. 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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