Close-up of a hand holding a cell phone displaying the Amazon Pharmacy system, Lafayette, California, September 15, 2021.
Smith Collection | Gado | Getty Images
Amazon announced Friday, it now offers Novo NordiskWegovy’s diet pill via its digital pharmacy.
Novo Nordisk on Monday began rolling out an oral version of its injectable obesity drug, Wegovy, in the United States, offering an initial dose of $149 per month to patients paying cash. Patients with insurance coverage can get the pill for as little as $25 per month.
The daily pill comes to market with some of the lowest cash prices in the booming obesity and diabetes drug industry, which pricey weekly shots from Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have long dominated. Its availability on Amazon highlights Novo Nordisk’s strategy to expand beyond traditional channels and reach new patients.
Amazon said eligible customers with insurance can pay as little as $25 for a month’s supply of the drug. Its cash payment option will start at $149 per month.
In the coming weeks, Amazon announced that it will also offer the Wegovy pill through its prescription kiosks, located at select One Medical clinics.
The e-commerce giant launched Amazon Pharmacy in 2020 as part of its expansion into the multibillion-dollar U.S. healthcare industry. The service grew out of the acquisition of online pharmacy PillPack for about $750 million in 2018. It then bought primary care clinic One Medical in 2022 for $3.9 billion.
Amazon has sought to attract users to its service by offering fast delivery and price transparency. It offers same-day prescription delivery to nearly half of U.S. consumers, Amazon said.
The company has not revealed the number of Amazon Pharmacy users, but analysts estimate it could generate around $2 billion in annual revenue.
In October, WeightWatchers announced plans to partner with Amazon Pharmacy to provide weight loss medications to its members. Amazon Pharmacy has also collaborated with Elie Lilly to help deliver certain prescription drugs, including its obesity drug Zepbound, purchased through the drugmaker’s direct-to-consumer website.
Following its launch this week, the Novo Nordisk pill is also available at more than 70,000 U.S. pharmacies such as CVS and Costco, as well as select telehealth providers including Novo Nordisk’s Ro, LifeMD, Weight Watchers, GoodRx and NovoCare Pharmacy.
Patients paying cash will also be able to access the initial dose of the pill for $149 per month on President Donald Trump’s direct-to-consumer website, TrumpRx, under a deal Novo Nordisk reached with his administration in November. The site will also launch in January, but it’s unclear exactly when.
Health experts say oral options could expand access to obesity treatment in the United States, likely reaching entirely new people who were afraid of needles or thought the injections were too severe or aggressive for them to start.
Eli Lilly has a rival anti-obesity pill expected to get approval from the Food and Drug Administration later this year.