GLP-1 Cost Without Insurance 2026
By Axis Intelligence Research
Co-author: Jennifer Miller | Last updated: October 8, 2026 | License: CC BY 4.0
Axis Intelligence Research estimates that a first year of brand-name GLP-1 treatment paid in cash costs between $3,227.87 (Foundayo) and $5,637 (Zepbound) when you follow the FDA-label dose schedule and use the manufacturers’ own self-pay channels. Per point of body weight lost, the cheapest option is not the cheapest pill.
Quick Answer: How Much Do GLP-1s Cost Without Insurance in 2026?
Without insurance, brand GLP-1 weight-loss drugs start at $149 a month (Wegovy pill 1.5 mg, Foundayo 0.8 mg) and run $299 to $449 a month at maintenance doses, per NovoCare and Lilly price pages checked October 7, 2026. Axis Intelligence Research estimates first-year costs of $3,227.87 to $5,637, before any telehealth membership fee.
Key Findings
- Axis Intelligence Research estimates the Wegovy pill delivers the lowest first-year Cost per Point of Weight Lost (CPWL) among brand GLP-1s: $248.37 per percentage point, versus $269.71 for Zepbound 15 mg.
- Missing Lilly’s 45-day refill window on Zepbound 7.5–15 mg raises the price from $449 to as much as $699 per fill, which Axis Intelligence Research calculates as a $2,550 first-year penalty on the 15 mg path.
- Because Wegovy and Zepbound “months” are 28-day fills, a year takes 13 fills, not 12. Axis Intelligence Research calculates this adds 8.3% to a quoted monthly price annualized naively.
- A Hims & Hers weight-loss membership ($39 first month, then $149/month) adds $1,678 in year one. Axis Intelligence Research’s Telehealth Fee Load (TFL) puts that at 49.7% on top of the Wegovy pill’s first-year drug cost.
- Cash prices for Wegovy pens fell to $349 a month from a $1,349 reference price shown on TrumpRx, a 74.1% reduction, as of October 7, 2026.
What Each Brand GLP-1 Costs Without Insurance (October 2026)
All prices are self-pay, per fill, from the manufacturer channel. A Wegovy pen or Zepbound fill covers 28 days; a pill bottle covers 30 days.
| Drug | Dose | Self-pay price | Unit | Conditions | Verified | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wegovy pill | 1.5 mg | $149 | 30 tablets | NovoCare or savings offer | 2026-10-07 | NovoCare Price Guide |
| Wegovy pill | 4 mg | $199 | 30 tablets | 2026-10-07 | NovoCare Price Guide | |
| Wegovy pill | 9 mg / 25 mg | $299 | 30 tablets | 2026-10-07 | NovoCare Price Guide | |
| Wegovy pen | 0.25 / 0.5 mg | $199 | 4 pens | New patients, first 2 fills, through 12/31/2026 | 2026-10-07 | NovoCare Price Guide |
| Wegovy pen | 0.25–2.4 mg | $349 | 4 pens | Standard | 2026-10-07 | NovoCare Price Guide |
| Wegovy HD pen | 7.2 mg | $399 | 4 pens | 2026-10-07 | NovoCare Price Guide | |
| Zepbound vial or KwikPen | 2.5 mg | $299 | 28 days | LillyDirect | 2026-10-07 | Lilly terms |
| Zepbound vial or KwikPen | 5 mg | $399 | 28 days | 2026-10-07 | Lilly terms | |
| Zepbound vial or KwikPen | 7.5–15 mg | $449 | 28 days | Refill within 45 days; otherwise $499–$699 | 2026-10-07 | Lilly terms |
| Foundayo pill | 0.8 mg | $149 | 30 days | LillyDirect | 2026-10-07 | Lilly Foundayo savings |
| Foundayo pill | 2.5 mg | $149 | 30 days | Temporary price through 12/31/2026 (regular $199) | 2026-10-07 | Lilly Foundayo savings |
| Foundayo pill | 5.5 mg | $199 | 30 days | Temporary price through 12/31/2026 (regular $299) | 2026-10-07 | Lilly Foundayo savings |
| Foundayo pill | 9 mg | $299 | 30 days | 2026-10-07 | Lilly Foundayo savings | |
| Foundayo pill | 14.5 / 17.2 mg | $299 | 30 days | Refill within 45 days (regular $349) | 2026-10-07 | Lilly Foundayo savings |
| Ozempic pen* | 0.25–1 mg | $349 | month | $199 for first 2 fills (new self-pay), through 12/31/2026 | 2026-10-07 | TrumpRx |
| Ozempic pen* | 2 mg | $499 | month | 2026-10-07 | TrumpRx |
*Ozempic is FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes; weight-loss use is off-label.
Sources: NovoCare Wegovy price guide, Zepbound terms and conditions, Foundayo coverage and savings.
How much does Wegovy cost without insurance?
Novo Nordisk lists the Wegovy pill at $149 a month for 1.5 mg, $199 for 4 mg and $299 for the 9 mg and 25 mg doses. The Wegovy pen is $349 a month at every dose from 0.25 mg to 2.4 mg, with new patients paying $199 for each of their first two fills through December 31, 2026. Novo’s own page states that pricing will be updated after that date.
How much does Zepbound cost without insurance?
Lilly charges $299 for 2.5 mg and $399 for 5 mg. From 7.5 mg upward the price is $449, but only if each refill is completed within 45 days of the last delivery. Miss that window and the “regular price” applies: $499 for 7.5 mg and $699 for 10, 12.5 and 15 mg.
How much does Foundayo (orforglipron) cost without insurance?
Foundayo, approved by the FDA on April 1, 2026, costs $149 at 0.8 mg and, through December 31, 2026, $149 at 2.5 mg and $199 at 5.5 mg. The 9 mg dose is $299; the two top doses are $299 with on-time refills and $349 without.
The list price that once anchored every conversation is now mostly a reference figure. TrumpRx shows $1,349 as the original price for Wegovy and $1,087 for Zepbound. Nobody paying cash through a manufacturer channel pays either.
What Does a First Year of GLP-1 Treatment Cost Without Insurance?
Monthly prices mislead because nobody starts at the maintenance dose. Each label requires a step-up: Wegovy pen 0.25 → 0.5 → 1 → 1.7 → 2.4 mg in 4-week steps (Wegovy label); Wegovy pill 1.5 → 4 → 9 → 25 mg in 30-day steps; Zepbound 2.5 mg for 4 weeks then 2.5 mg increments (Zepbound label); Foundayo 0.8 → 2.5 → 5.5 mg, then optional steps to 9, 14.5 or 17.2 mg (Foundayo label).
Axis Intelligence Research priced every step of each schedule for a patient starting in October 2026, over 52 weeks (364 days), on the cheapest compliant path: introductory offers used, every refill on time.
| Treatment path (maintenance dose) | Axis first-year cash cost | Axis steady-state annual cost (year 2+) | Monthly-equivalent, year 1 | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foundayo → 17.2 mg | $3,227.87 | $3,627.87 | $268.99 | Axis Intelligence Research, from Lilly prices |
| Foundayo → 9 mg | $3,227.87 | $3,627.87 | $268.99 | Axis Intelligence Research, from Lilly prices |
| Wegovy pill → 25 mg | $3,377.87 | $3,627.87 | $281.49 | Axis Intelligence Research, from NovoCare prices |
| Wegovy pen → 2.4 mg | $4,237.00 | $4,537.00 | $353.08 | Axis Intelligence Research, from NovoCare prices |
| Zepbound → 5 mg | $5,087.00 | $5,187.00 | $423.92 | Axis Intelligence Research, from Lilly prices |
| Zepbound → 10 mg or 15 mg | $5,637.00 | $5,837.00 | $469.75 | Axis Intelligence Research, from Lilly prices |
The math for the Wegovy pen: 2 fills × $199 + 11 fills × $349 = $4,237. For Zepbound to 15 mg: $299 + $399 + 11 × $449 = $5,637.
Two quirks in that table matter more than the totals.
First, the 13th fill. Wegovy and Zepbound define a month as 28 days, so a full year needs 13 fills. A “$349 a month” drug costs $4,537 a year at steady state, not the $4,188 a phone calculator gives you. That 8.3% gap shows up in every household budget that annualizes by 12.
Second, the flat top. Lilly prices Zepbound 7.5 mg through 15 mg identically, and Foundayo 9 mg identically to 17.2 mg on the offer price. In both cases the higher dose costs the same per fill. Whether a higher dose is clinically right is a prescriber’s decision; the price simply stops being a reason to stay lower.
What Is the Cost per Point of Weight Lost (CPWL)?
The Cost per Point of Weight Lost (CPWL) is an Axis Intelligence Research metric: the cash cost of a year of treatment divided by the mean percentage of body weight lost in that drug’s pivotal trial, as reported on the FDA label or the peer-reviewed trial.
Formula: CPWL = 52-week cash cost ÷ |mean % body-weight change, intention-to-treat analysis|
Price pages tell you what a fill costs. They don’t tell you what the fill buys. CPWL puts every brand on one scale: dollars per percentage point of body weight, using the analysis that counts every randomized patient, including those who stopped the drug.
| Treatment path | Trial efficacy (ITT) | Trial, duration | Axis CPWL, year 1 | Axis CPWL, year 2+ | Source (efficacy) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wegovy pill 25 mg | −13.6% | OASIS 4, 64 weeks | $248.37 | $266.75 | NEJM, Wharton et al. |
| Zepbound 15 mg | −20.9% | Study 1, 72 weeks | $269.71 | $279.28 | Zepbound label |
| Wegovy pen 2.4 mg | −14.9% | Study 2, 68 weeks | $284.36 | $304.50 | Wegovy label |
| Zepbound 10 mg | −19.5% | Study 1, 72 weeks | $289.08 | $299.33 | Zepbound label |
| Foundayo 17.2 mg | −11.1% | Trial 1, 72 weeks | $290.80 | $326.83 | Foundayo label |
| Zepbound 5 mg | −15.0% | Study 1, 72 weeks | $339.13 | $345.80 | Zepbound label |
| Foundayo 9 mg | −8.3% | Trial 1, 72 weeks | $388.90 | $437.09 | Foundayo label |
Efficacy figures are from trials of people without type 2 diabetes.
The ranking reorders the price table. Foundayo has the lowest first-year bill, yet at 17.2 mg it ranks fifth on CPWL because its trial weight loss (11.1%) is smaller. Zepbound has the highest bill and ranks second, because 20.9% is the largest effect on the board. The Wegovy pill wins on both counts that matter to a cash payer: a low bill and a trial effect close to the injectable’s.
Here is the specific caution that should slow the reader down. These trials ran 64 to 72 weeks, enrolled different populations, and were never run head to head. CPWL compares what each label reports, not a contest between drugs, and an individual’s response can sit far from the trial mean. The metric is a budgeting lens, not a treatment recommendation.
Compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide have no CPWL on this page, by design. They are not FDA-approved, and Henry Meds’ own page states that data from trials of FDA-approved drugs should not be used to assess compounded medications. We agree with that line and apply it.
How Much Does a Telehealth GLP-1 Program Add to the Price?
Telehealth platforms now sell the same brand drugs at the same manufacturer prices. Ro states its cash prices match LillyDirect, NovoCare and TrumpRx. What differs is the membership.
| Program | First month | Ongoing fee | Axis year-1 membership cost | Includes medication? | Verified | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hims & Hers Weight Loss | $39 | $149/month | $1,678 | No | 2026-10-07 | Hims pricing page |
| Ro Body, 1-month plan | $39 | $149/month | $1,678 | No | 2026-10-07 | Ro pricing page |
| Ro Body, 12-month prepaid | $39 | $74/month | $853 | No | 2026-10-07 | Ro pricing page |
| WW Med+, 12-month plan | $25 | $74/month | $839 | No | 2026-10-07 | WeightWatchers Med+ page |
| WW Med+, 6-month plan | $25 | $84/month | $949 | No | 2026-10-07 | WeightWatchers Med+ page |
Year-1 membership = first month + 11 × monthly fee (Axis Intelligence Research assumption that the discounted first month counts as month one of the plan).
What is the Telehealth Fee Load (TFL)?
The Telehealth Fee Load (TFL) is an Axis Intelligence Research ratio: a program’s year-one membership cost divided by the year-one cash cost of the drug, expressed as a percentage. It answers one question: how much on top of the drug does the platform cost?
| Program | Wegovy pill 25 mg | Wegovy pen 2.4 mg | Zepbound 15 mg | Foundayo 17.2 mg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hims & Hers (monthly) | 49.7% | 39.6% | 29.8% | 52.0% |
| Ro 12-month prepaid | 25.3% | 20.1% | 15.1% | 26.4% |
| WW Med+ 12-month | 24.8% | 19.8% | 14.9% | 26.0% |
Source: Axis Intelligence Research, from provider pricing pages and manufacturer prices, October 7, 2026.
The fee load is heaviest exactly where the drug is cheapest. On Foundayo, a monthly Hims membership adds 52% to the first-year bill. On Zepbound, the same fee adds 29.8%, because the drug itself costs more. A fixed membership is a regressive charge on the cheaper pills.
One listing deserves a second look. Hims shows Zepbound pens and Mounjaro at $1,899 a month, next to Zepbound vials and KwikPens from $299. The form you are prescribed can change the bill more than the platform does.
What Does GLP-1 Treatment Cost Over 3 and 5 Years?
Obesity drugs are labeled for long-term use. Axis Intelligence Research projected cumulative cash cost assuming October 2026 prices hold, which is a scenario rather than a forecast: Novo says Wegovy pricing will be updated after December 31, 2026, and both companies reserve the right to change offers at any time.
| Treatment path | Channel | 1 year | 3 years | 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foundayo → 17.2 mg | Manufacturer direct | $3,227.87 | $10,483.60 | $17,739.33 |
| Wegovy pill → 25 mg | Manufacturer direct | $3,377.87 | $10,633.60 | $17,889.33 |
| Wegovy pill → 25 mg | Ro 12-month prepaid | $4,230.87 | $13,262.60 | $22,294.33 |
| Wegovy pill → 25 mg | Hims & Hers monthly | $5,055.87 | $15,887.60 | $26,719.33 |
| Wegovy pen → 2.4 mg | Manufacturer direct | $4,237.00 | $13,311.00 | $22,385.00 |
| Zepbound → 15 mg | Manufacturer direct | $5,637.00 | $17,311.00 | $28,985.00 |
| Zepbound → 15 mg | Hims & Hers monthly | $7,315.00 | $22,565.00 | $37,815.00 |
Formula: year 1 + (years − 1) × steady-state annual cost + membership fees (Ro $888/year and Hims $1,788/year after year 1). Source: Axis Intelligence Research. Visit fees for a prescriber outside a telehealth membership are not included.
Five years on Zepbound through a monthly membership comes to $37,815. The same drug bought directly from Lilly, with a prescriber you already see, comes to $28,985. The $8,830 difference is the platform.
How Much Does Compounded Semaglutide or Tirzepatide Cost?
Compounded GLP-1s remain the lowest sticker prices online. Mochi Health lists compounded semaglutide injections from $60 a month and compounded tirzepatide from $90, with membership billed separately. Henry Meds lists compounded plans from $179 a month, provider visits and supplies included, which is $2,148 over 12 months.
| Provider | Product | Advertised entry price | What’s included | Verified | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mochi Health | Compounded semaglutide injection | From $60/month | Medication only; membership extra | 2026-10-07 | Mochi site |
| Mochi Health | Compounded tirzepatide injection | From $90/month | Medication only; membership extra | 2026-10-07 | Mochi site |
| Mochi Health | Compounded orforglipron | From $31/month | Medication only; membership extra | 2026-10-07 | Mochi site |
| Henry Meds | Compounded GLP-1 plan | From $179/month | Visits, medication, supplies | 2026-10-07 | Henry Meds site |
“From” prices are the lowest advertised tier; dose and plan length move them up.
The price gap is real, and so is the regulatory one. On March 3, 2026, the FDA issued 30 warning letters to telehealth companies over claims implying their compounded GLP-1s were the same as approved drugs, and restated that compounded drugs are not FDA-approved and are not generics. On April 30, 2026, the FDA proposed excluding semaglutide, tirzepatide and liraglutide from the 503B bulks list, which outsourcing facilities rely on to compound from bulk ingredients; comments closed June 29, 2026.
Two developments in that table are worth naming. A compounded version of orforglipron is now being sold six months after Foundayo’s approval. And the brand floor has fallen to $149, which narrows the compounded discount at low doses to a gap that a single membership fee can erase.
What Moves the Price of a GLP-1 Without Insurance?
Dose, more than brand. Every brand charges more as the dose climbs, then flattens near the top. Your prescribed maintenance dose decides most of the annual bill.
Refill timing. Lilly’s $449 Zepbound price and $299 top-dose Foundayo price depend on refilling within 45 days. Late refills reset you to regular pricing, which Axis Intelligence Research calculates costs $2,550 over a year on Zepbound 15 mg and $556.67 on Foundayo 17.2 mg.
Offer calendars. The Wegovy pen’s $199 introductory fills, Ozempic’s $199 introductory fills and Foundayo’s reduced 2.5 mg and 5.5 mg prices all carry a December 31, 2026 end date.
Form factor. A Zepbound vial or KwikPen from LillyDirect starts at $299; Hims lists Zepbound pens at $1,899.
Who prescribes. A membership is a recurring charge for access to a prescriber. If your own clinician will prescribe, the manufacturer pharmacies need no membership at all.
Medicare status. Eligible Part D enrollees can get covered GLP-1s for a $50 copay through the CMS Medicare GLP-1 Bridge, which runs from July 1, 2026, to December 31, 2027. That copay does not count toward Part D out-of-pocket totals.
How to Pay Less for a GLP-1 Without Insurance
Check coverage before you pay cash. Novo and Lilly both offer commercially insured patients savings cards with copays as low as $25 a month, subject to caps, and a covered drug almost always beats a cash price.
Buy from the manufacturer channel or an equivalent coupon. NovoCare, LillyDirect and TrumpRx list the prices in this report; Ro states its prices match them.
Put refills on a calendar. On Lilly products, the 45-day window is worth more than any membership discount on this page.
If you need a telehealth prescriber, price the membership as part of the drug. A 12-month prepaid plan (Ro at $74/month, WW Med+ at $74/month) cuts the year-one fee roughly in half versus a $149 monthly plan.
Use the CPWL table to compare value, then let a clinician choose the drug. Price per point is a budgeting tool; tolerability, other conditions and how you respond decide the treatment.
Axis Intelligence Research is not a medical provider. This page is pricing analysis, not medical advice.
GLP-1 Cash Price Questions, Answered
Is the Wegovy pill cheaper than the Wegovy shot without insurance?
Yes. At maintenance doses the pill costs $299 per 30 days and the pen $349 per 28 days. Axis Intelligence Research estimates first-year costs of $3,377.87 for the pill and $4,237 for the pen, an $859.13 difference.
Why does my Zepbound price jump from $449 to $699?
Lilly’s $449 price for 7.5–15 mg requires each refill within 45 days of the previous delivery. After that window, the regular price applies: $499 for 7.5 mg and $699 for 10, 12.5 and 15 mg.
Is a higher GLP-1 dose more expensive?
Not always. Zepbound 7.5, 10, 12.5 and 15 mg all cost $449 with on-time refills, and Foundayo 9, 14.5 and 17.2 mg all cost $299 on current offers. Dose choice should still come from your prescriber.
Can I use an HSA or FSA for cash-pay GLP-1s?
Often, for the medication. Lilly lists Foundayo self-pay as HSA/FSA eligible, and Hims says its medication fee is eligible while its membership fee is not. Eligibility depends on your plan administrator.
Do I need a telehealth membership to get GLP-1 prices?
No. NovoCare Pharmacy and LillyDirect sell at these prices with a valid prescription from any licensed prescriber. A membership pays for prescriber access and support, not a lower drug price.
Will GLP-1 cash prices change in 2027?
Some will. Novo states Wegovy pricing will be updated after December 31, 2026, and several introductory and temporary prices expire that day. This page is re-verified before each expiry.
How much weight does each dollar buy on a GLP-1?
Using trial averages, Axis Intelligence Research’s CPWL ranges from $248.37 per percentage point (Wegovy pill 25 mg) to $388.90 (Foundayo 9 mg) in year one. Individual results vary widely.
Methodology
Price collection. Axis Intelligence Research read every price from the live NovoCare savings page and price guide, Lilly’s Zepbound terms and Foundayo savings page, TrumpRx, and the pricing pages of Ro, Hims & Hers, WeightWatchers, Henry Meds and Mochi Health on October 7, 2026. LillyDirect’s storefront blocks automated access, so Lilly prices come from Lilly’s published terms and conditions, which state each price explicitly.
First-year cost. For each drug we followed the FDA-label escalation schedule, assumed a start in October 2026, used introductory offers available to new patients, assumed every refill within offer windows, and summed costs over 364 days. Pens and vials are priced per 28-day fill (13 fills); pills are prorated daily from 30-day bottle prices. Steady-state annual cost is the maintenance-dose price over 364 days.
CPWL. First-year (or steady-state) cash cost divided by the absolute mean percentage change in body weight in the drug’s pivotal trial, using the intention-to-treat / treatment-regimen figure for participants without type 2 diabetes: Wegovy pen 2.4 mg, Study 2, −14.9% at 68 weeks (Wegovy label); Wegovy pill 25 mg, OASIS 4, −13.6% at 64 weeks (NEJM); Zepbound 5/10/15 mg, Study 1, −15.0%/−19.5%/−20.9% at 72 weeks (Zepbound label); Foundayo 9/17.2 mg, Trial 1, −8.3%/−11.1% at 72 weeks (Foundayo label). Wegovy HD 7.2 mg is excluded because its label efficacy figure was not captured in our fetch. Compounded products are excluded by design.
TFL. Year-one membership cost (first month + 11 × monthly fee) divided by year-one drug cost.
What this does not include: taxes, shipping, needles or syringes for vials, lab work, and visit fees for prescribers outside a membership.
About This Dataset
The full dataset behind this page — 174 rows covering self-pay prices by dose, offer conditions, trial efficacy inputs, Axis CPWL and TFL readings, and 1/3/5-year cost scenarios, each with source URL and retrieval date — is available as glp-1-cost-without-insurance.csv under a CC BY 4.0 license.
Cite this page: Axis Intelligence Research, GLP-1 Cost Without Insurance 2026, 2026. https://axis-intelligence.com/glp-1-cost-without-insurance/
- APA: Axis Intelligence Research. (2026, October 8). GLP-1 cost without insurance 2026. Axis Intelligence. https://axis-intelligence.com/glp-1-cost-without-insurance/
- MLA: Axis Intelligence Research. “GLP-1 Cost Without Insurance 2026.” Axis Intelligence, 8 Oct. 2026, axis-intelligence.com/glp-1-cost-without-insurance/.
- Chicago: Axis Intelligence Research. “GLP-1 Cost Without Insurance 2026.” Axis Intelligence, October 8, 2026. https://axis-intelligence.com/glp-1-cost-without-insurance/.