Novo Nordisk Expands GLP-1 Access Through Telehealth Providers

In a move to broaden access to its obesity treatment, Novo Nordisk announced that patients can now obtain authentic, FDA-approved semaglutide (Wegovy) injection 2.4 mg directly through select telehealth providers—including Hims & Hers Health, LifeMD, and Ro—thanks to a new collaboration with NovoCare Pharmacy and CenterWell Specialty Pharmacy, according to a press release.¹ This expansion offers self-paying patients a simplified, direct-to-door option at a consistent price of $499 per month.

Self-paying patients can now obtain semaglutide at a lower cost through trusted telehealth providers. | Image Credit: Corona Borealis - stock.adobe.com

"Wegovy continues to be in high demand as there are 100 million Americans living with obesity,” said Dave Moore, executive vice president, US operations and president of Novo Nordisk Inc, in a statement. “We believe patients living with this chronic disease who want and need treatment under the care of a licensed health care professional, including those embracing the growing telehealth community, deserve to get the real thing. Making Wegovy available via these telehealth channels, with its clinically-tested weight loss in its premium pen delivery device, is an important step forward in allowing patients to receive care in the way they choose and helping them to achieve their weight loss goals with an authentic, FDA-approved medicine."

The launch of this initiative was also announced during a session at Asembia’s AXS25 Summit. On that panel was Guillermo Sollberger, JD, senior vice president, CenterWell Specialty Pharmacy, Humana Pharmacy Solutions, who discussed innovative ways to bring safe, affordable medications to patients that need them.

The high cost of weight loss medications remains a significant barrier for millions of Americans living with obesity, despite the growing demand for effective treatments like glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs).² While these medications have demonstrated powerful benefits for weight management and the reduction of obesity-related health risks, their typical list price of around $1000 per month has made them unaffordable for many, especially those without insurance coverage.

“This partnership allows us to serve both the patients that are going to their physicians, or the patients who are using Hims & Hers, LifeMD, or Ro, in order to seek care to do so,” Sollberger told The American Journal of Managed Care^® (AJMC^®). “Unfortunately, in this disease state, there's a lot of perceived stigmas, and so it allows patients to do this from the anonymity of their home, while still getting the absolute best cash price in the market if they don't have commercial coverage.”

Approved by the FDA in 2021, semaglutide became the first weekly GLP-1 RA specifically indicated for chronic weight management, marking a major shift in how health care professionals treat obesity.¹ As the only FDA-approved semaglutide for weight loss, it has quickly gained widespread adoption, now supporting nearly 1.5 million patients in the US. In 2024, the FDA expanded its label to include a new indication: reducing the risk of major cardiovascular events—including death, heart attack, and stroke—in adults with established heart disease and either obesity or overweight. This expanded approval establishes semaglutide’s role not only in weight loss, but also in addressing the broader health risks associated with obesity. Ongoing studies continue to explore the potential of semaglutide across multiple chronic conditions.

Additionally, with the expansion of direct-to-consumer access to semaglutide through telehealth providers, Novo Nordisk and its partners are prioritizing patient safety, medication quality, and continuity of care, explained Sollberger. CenterWell is leveraging an integrated model that closely connects prescribing physicians with the pharmacy system, ensuring a streamlined process for prescription management and follow-up. This approach allows for real-time communication and issue resolution between telehealth providers and pharmacists, supporting proper medication adherence and minimizing risk.

“We want to make it [semaglutide] available for the telehealth customers at an affordable price, as if they're getting it through their physician,” said Sollberger. “That dual model really allows us to serve the customer and any of the channels that they may kind of pursue. It isn't just the telehealth providers; it isn't just their physicians. It's really any patient [who] can take advantage of the program.”

References

1. Novo Nordisk expands patient access to authentic, FDA-approved Wegovy via collaborations with multiple telehealth organizations. News release. Novo Nordisk. April 29, 2025. Accessed April 29, 2025. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/novo-nordisk-expands-patient-access-to-authentic-fda-approved-wegovy-via-collaborations-with-multiple-telehealth-organizations-302441147.html

2. Santoro C. Tirzepatide and semaglutide improve weight loss, cardiovascular conditions, but deemed too expensive. AJMC. March 14, 2025. Accessed May 1, 2025. https://www.ajmc.com/view/tirzepatide-and-semaglutide-improve-weight-loss-cardiovascular-conditions-but-deemed-too-expensive