GoodRx (GDRX) soared more than 30% in early trading Monday following an announcement that it will begin selling both of Novo Nordisk’s (NVO) GLP-1 drugs—Ozempic for diabetes and Wegovy for weight loss—at a cash price of $499 per month. The move positions GoodRx to participate in the booming GLP-1 market, as demand for these drugs continues to rise sharply.
The partnership reflects a growing trend among telehealth and digital health platforms to improve patient access to high-demand treatments. GoodRx CEO Wendy Barnes told Yahoo Finance that while the company isn’t first to implement this strategy, it believes the timing is right. “There’s no question we could have tried to do something sooner from a compounded alternative pathway, but we have been very clear in our belief that it needed to be FDA-approved, lawfully approved. It just wasn’t a pathway that we were going to support,” Barnes said.
Telehealth competitors such as Hims & Hers (HIMS) have recently faced challenges after Novo Nordisk ended a partnership when Hims & Hers continued selling compounded, or copycat, versions of the GLP-1 drugs. Compounded versions were initially allowed when supply shortages prevented Novo Nordisk and competitor Eli Lilly (LLY) from meeting demand. With those shortages resolved, copycat drugs are now largely considered illegal, though compounding pharmacies argue they can sell them under “personalized medicine” exceptions for patients who cannot tolerate side effects. Barnes emphasized that while compounded drugs have valid clinical uses in some cases, this does not apply to the current GLP-1 category.
GoodRx’s approach also differs from Eli Lilly’s strategy. Eli Lilly has been selling vials of its products via telehealth platforms, which are easier to produce than the prefilled injectable pens, a factor that contributed to shortages over the past two years. By contrast, GoodRx will sell the FDA-approved injectable pens directly to consumers, allowing broader and lawful access.
Demand for GLP-1 drugs on GoodRx has surged dramatically, with 17 million inquiries over the past year—up 22% from the prior year. The sale of Ozempic through GoodRx marks the first time the diabetes drug will be offered at a cash price. GoodRx also distributes Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro (for diabetes) and Zepbound (for weight loss) through its regular pharmacy channels at standard pricing.
The announcement comes at a time when Novo Nordisk’s weight-loss drug Wegovy has been losing market share to Eli Lilly’s Zepbound. According to IQVIA, as of August 8, weekly prescriptions for Zepbound have jumped 199% year-over-year, compared with a 40% increase for Wegovy. To address this, Novo Nordisk has rolled out several strategies, including digital health partnerships and making Wegovy the preferred GLP-1 on CVS Caremark’s formulary.
Meanwhile, the broader policy environment supports this type of direct-to-consumer pricing. The Trump administration has called on drug manufacturers to expand access through lower-cost, direct-to-consumer channels, aiming to make medications more affordable for patients.
GoodRx’s announcement not only signals the company’s entry into a rapidly growing segment of the diabetes and weight-loss market but also reflects the broader shift toward telehealth and digital platforms as key distribution channels for high-demand medications. With surging consumer interest and regulatory support for lawful access, GoodRx appears well-positioned to capitalize on the GLP-1 trend while maintaining compliance with FDA standards.
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