Health Watch: Wellness, Research & Healthy Living Tips
- Costco will offer four-week supplies of Wegovy and Ozempic for $499 through its prescription program.
- Offer applies to members paying out of pocket because many insurers still don’t cover GLP-1 medications.
- Semaglutide (in Wegovy and Ozempic) mimics GLP-1 hormone to reduce hunger and promote significant weight loss.
- Rising demand and limited supply have spurred cheaper copycats and calls for tighter federal oversight.
Costco has struck an agreement with drugmaker Novo Nordisk to make anti-obesity GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy available to its members at roughly half the usual cost.
Through the store’s prescription program, members with a valid prescription can buy a four-week supply of the injectables for $499. The offer is available only to those paying out of pocket, since many insurers still do not cover these medications.
The move comes as GLP-1 drug prices have soared as supply continues to be increasingly limited. This has led some people to seek out cheaper, compounded versions, a trend that’s prompted calls for tighter federal oversight.
“We want to make sure we offer the real, authentic Wegovy and Ozempic where patients seek care,” David Moore, Novo Nordisk’s US president, told NBC News.
Both Ozempic and Wegovy contain semaglutide, an injectable medication used to manage type 2 diabetes and promote weight loss. Semaglutide works by mimicking a natural hormone known as glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1), which helps regulate appetite and insulin production. By reducing hunger, it can lead to significant weight loss.
Public familiarity with the drug has grown quickly. A survey conducted in August found that more than 80% of Americans had heard at least “a little bit” about semaglutide, while about one-third had either tried it or expressed interest in doing so.
Novo Nordisk has said that more than 200,000 Wegovy prescriptions are filled in the US each week. Still, the company faces stiff competition from pharmacies and clinics selling cheaper, copycat formulations of GLP-1 drugs.
As of August 2025, nearly 12% of Americans have used GLP-1 drugs for weight loss, including about one-fifth of women aged 50 to 64.
Costco’s entry into the GLP-1 market could further boost access and demand, especially given that many health plans continue to deny coverage for the drugs.
Read the full article on the original source
