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The digital health care company Sesame announced Wednesday that it will start offering customers off-brand Wegovy for just $250 a month. This is among the cheapest prices available for the popular weight loss drug.
Today, the company launched “Success by Sesame,” a new weight loss program that provides eligible patients video consultations with a health care provider and compounded semaglutide — the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk’s NVO+2.68% Wegovy and Ozempic. In September, the program will also provide members with a library featuring fitness and nutrition content.
The program’s $250 monthly fee is hundreds of dollars cheaper than Wegovy’s $1,349 list price for a month’s supply.
“Sesame has proven over five years that Americans do not have to sacrifice quality, convenience or access just to get an affordable price for their care,” said David Goldhill, Sesame‘s co-founder and CEO, in a press release. “That’s why there’s no retail markup on compounded semaglutide sold through Sesame.”
Compounding is the process of customizing an approved drug by a state-licensed pharmacist or physician to meet the specific needs of an individual patient.
Typically, the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act prohibits compounding drugs that are just copies of commercially available medications. However, drugs that are in shortage are not considered by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be commercially available.
The limited supply of highly coveted and expensive weight loss drugs like Wegovy has spurred several telehealth platforms to take advantage of these section of the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
Sesame said it would be offering its compounded semaglutide in pre-filled syringes to help customers avoid dosing errors.
In July, the FDA issued an alert saying it had received adverse event reports regarding patients who overdosed on compounded semaglutide.
The company also said that once Wegovy is no longer in shortage it will help patients transition to a branded medication.
Sesame began offering branded Wegovy and other weight loss drugs in April when it launched a partnership with Costco.