Semaglutide Cost: Ozempic, Wegovy and Compounded Prices
Semaglutide cost depends first on which product you mean. The same ingredient sits inside Ozempic at about $1,000 a month, Wegovy at about $1,350 a month, and compounded semaglutide advertised from about $249 a month, and every one of those figures is approximate. This page explains why one ingredient has three price levels, and what changes what you actually pay. It is education only.
One ingredient, three products
Semaglutide is the active ingredient in two branded weekly injection pens. Ozempic is approved for type 2 diabetes and also to reduce kidney disease progression risk in type 2 diabetes with chronic kidney disease, with doses up to 2 mg weekly. Wegovy is approved for weight management, with a maintenance dose of 2.4 mg weekly, or 1.7 mg if 2.4 mg is not tolerated, and it is also approved for adolescents aged 12 and older and for reducing cardiovascular risk in certain adults. There is also Rybelsus, the approved oral semaglutide tablet for type 2 diabetes, taken on an empty stomach with a small amount of water and a wait of at least 30 minutes before food or other medicines.
The third level is compounded semaglutide, prepared by compounding pharmacies for individual prescriptions. It uses the same ingredient name but it is not the branded pen, it is not made by the brand manufacturer, and it is not FDA approved. Keeping those three products separate in your mind is the whole key to understanding semaglutide pricing, because most confusion, and most misleading advertising, comes from quoting one product's price while implying another product's approval and dosing system.
Ozempic at about $1,000 a month
The approximate US list price used across this site for Ozempic is about $1,000 a month. List price is the benchmark before coverage: commercially insured patients often pay less depending on formulary position, prior authorization, deductible stage and any manufacturer savings card they qualify for, while people without coverage face cash quotes that vary by pharmacy around that benchmark. Because Ozempic is approved for type 2 diabetes, coverage decisions usually turn on that diagnosis and your plan's diabetes formulary, which is why two people with the same prescription can face very different totals.
Dose does not usually change the headline in the way people expect. The published schedule rises from 0.25 mg to 0.5 mg, then optionally to 1 mg and a maximum of 2 mg, and pens are supplied in configurations matched to those steps. What changes your cost month to month is more often your coverage stage than your dose step, for example moving through a deductible. Our Ozempic price guide follows those moving parts in detail.
Wegovy at about $1,350 a month
Wegovy carries the highest approximate list price of the semaglutide products on this site, at about $1,350 a month. Part of the context is its approval: weight management coverage is less uniform than diabetes coverage, and many plans exclude or tightly manage weight loss medicines, so a larger share of Wegovy patients face the list benchmark, a savings program, or a cash quote than is typical for Ozempic. Plan rules, prior authorization criteria and program terms therefore matter even more for Wegovy than the sticker itself suggests.
Its schedule also runs higher, to the 2.4 mg maintenance dose, through steps of 0.25, 0.5, 1 and 1.7 mg, each held for at least 4 weeks. Treatment is generally long term, so the monthly figure should be read as a continuing cost, and the GLP-1 cost calculator can show what about $1,350 a month means across 6 or 12 months. If the total is unaffordable, that is a conversation for your prescriber, who can discuss coverage appeals, programs, or whether a different approach fits your situation better.
Compounded semaglutide at about $249, labeled approximate and not FDA approved
Compounded semaglutide is typically advertised from about $249 a month, and that figure needs both of its labels every time it appears: approximate, and for a product that is not FDA approved. Advertised prices are starting prices. They commonly rise as dose rises through the schedule, and telehealth services frequently add consultation, membership or shipping fees, so the honest comparison is the total for your dose over the months you expect to be treated, not the first month headline. Confirm that total, in writing, before committing.
The price gap exists because the product is different. A compounded version is made for an individual prescription by a compounding pharmacy, without FDA review of the finished product for safety, effectiveness or manufacturing quality, and dosing is usually measured from a vial rather than delivered by a fixed dose pen, which is where dosing errors can creep in. The FDA has published cautions for this market. Our compounded semaglutide guide explains how to judge a pharmacy and what questions to ask, and our cheapest GLP-1 comparison places the figure in context.
What actually changes what you pay
Four factors do most of the work. Coverage comes first: whether your plan covers the product for your diagnosis, and what stage of your deductible and cost sharing you are in. Pharmacy comes second: cash quotes vary, and the pharmacy your prescription is sent to changes the number. Program terms come third: savings cards generally require commercial insurance and cannot be combined with government insurance, while assistance programs have their own eligibility rules set by the manufacturer. Product choice comes fourth, and it is a prescriber decision, not a shopping decision, because approval, dose schedule and oversight differ between Ozempic, Wegovy and any compounded version.
One factor that should not drive the decision is a price quoted for a product you are not actually getting. If an advertisement uses a branded name with a compounded price, or promises semaglutide with no prescription at all, the problem is the seller, not your budget. Staying with a licensed clinician, a named pharmacy and a disclosed product keeps the cost conversation honest, and it keeps your prescriber and pharmacist able to help when side effects or dose questions come up.
Frequently asked questions
How much does semaglutide cost per month?
It depends on the product. At the approximate figures used on this site, Ozempic is about $1,000 a month and Wegovy is about $1,350 a month at US list price. Compounded semaglutide is advertised from about $249 a month as a typical starting price. Compounded products are not FDA approved, and all of these figures are approximate.
Why is Wegovy more expensive than Ozempic if both are semaglutide?
They are different branded products with different approvals, dose schedules and list prices. Wegovy is approved for weight management with a maintenance dose of 2.4 mg weekly, while Ozempic is approved for type 2 diabetes up to 2 mg weekly. Coverage also differs, because weight management coverage is less uniform than diabetes coverage.
Is compounded semaglutide the same as Ozempic at a lower price?
No. Compounded semaglutide is prepared by a compounding pharmacy for an individual prescription. It is not the branded pen, it is not made by the brand manufacturer, and it is not FDA approved. Its advertised price is a starting price that can rise with dose and fees, so compare full totals and weigh the oversight difference.
Does my dose change the cost of semaglutide?
For branded pens, coverage stage and pharmacy usually move your cost more than dose step does. For compounded semaglutide, advertised prices commonly do rise as dose rises. Either way, confirm the total for your current prescribed dose, including any program fees, before assuming a monthly figure.
Can insurance lower my semaglutide cost?
It can, depending on the product and your diagnosis. Ozempic coverage usually follows type 2 diabetes formulary rules, while Wegovy coverage for weight management varies widely between plans and often needs prior authorization. Savings cards and assistance programs have their own rules. Your plan and your pharmacist can confirm what applies to you.