Learn the GLP-1 weight loss category.

The first 8 to 16 weeks feel like magic: food noise off, weight falling. Then it slows and most people think the drug quit. It did not. Here is the whole curve.

Two manufacturer programs give away GLP-1 free to income-qualifying uninsured patients, and a copay card takes insured patients to $25 a month. Below those sit 340B clinics, compounding and two free databases.

MHRA and EMA reviewed the 2023 to 2024 reports of suicidal ideation on GLP-1 and both found no causal link. Here is the evidence and what it means if you take an SSRI.

The same weight loss costs about $1,500 or about $27,000 over five years, depending on insurance, HSA use, and which manufacturer program you route through. Here is the math.

Wegovy is not FDA-approved for obstructive sleep apnea. The OSA indication belongs to Zepbound, and that single fact decides how coverage, prior authorization and cash-pay strategy play out.

Tirzepatide resolved MASH in up to 62% of patients in SYNERGY-NASH, the biggest effect any drug has shown. Zepbound still has no MASH approval. Wegovy got one in June 2026.

The SUMMIT trial showed tirzepatide cut the composite of CV death and worsening heart-failure events by 38 percent in patients with HFpEF and obesity. The Zepbound label never followed, so prescribing it for heart failure is off-label and coverage still runs through obesity or sleep apnea.

Enroll first, cancel second, and keep the gap under 14 days. Flip that order and you lose your prescription or pay for two programs at once.

Maintenance is the lowest dose that holds your loss: 2.4 mg on Wegovy, 5 to 15 mg on Zepbound, 0.5 to 2 mg on Ozempic. Three withdrawal trials measured the regain after people stopped, and the program you buy through moves the bill more than the dose does.

Nine programs we track roll the medication into one monthly price, from $99 at Strut to $399 a cycle at Lindora. Every one uses compounded semaglutide or tirzepatide, and none bundle brand Wegovy or Zepbound.

Most GLP-1 telehealth programs let you cancel online with no fee. A handful bury a 12-month lock or a phone-only cancellation, and those cost people money. Here is the verified breakdown for every program we track.

Strut starts at $149 a month, the lowest we track. Shed holds a flat $245 and Mochi a flat $278 at every dose. Strut does not publish its higher-dose price, so read the catch first.

No FDA-approved generic exists for Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro or Zepbound: semaglutide patents run to about 2031 and tirzepatide to about 2036, so the cheapest legal route in 2026 is compounded semaglutide at about $149 to $178 a month.

No patch, gummy, drop, or nasal spray delivers a real GLP-1. The molecule is too big to cross skin, gums, or your nose, so the only needle-free options are three FDA-approved pills.

The semaglutide that lists near $969 a month in the US runs about $92 in the UK, and a 2024 JAMA analysis put the cost to make it under $5. Here is where the money goes.

Berberine is not a GLP-1 drug and the pink salt trick is a scam funnel. The cheapest real GLP-1 runs about $149 a month.

No GLP-1 is sold over the counter. Every one needs a prescription, and the cheapest legal route is a telehealth prescriber plus compounded semaglutide at about $149 to $178 a month.

No store sells Ozempic off the shelf. With a prescription, Costco members pay about $349 a month while Walmart cash runs $935 to $1,149.

No GLP-1 patch exists at Costco, at Walgreens, or anywhere else. The real drugs are injections or a daily pill, and the cheapest legitimate route runs about $149 to $178 a month.

No checkout code unlocks a cheap GLP-1. The real savings come from manufacturer cards, GoodRx, Costco, the Medicare Bridge and compounded semaglutide from about $149 a month.

Push Health is a real US telehealth marketplace, not a scam. The variable pricing that makes people nervous comes from independent providers setting their own rates.

There is no free Ozempic giveaway. The routes that actually cost nothing are clinical trials and manufacturer patient-assistance programs, and compounded semaglutide starts near $149 a month if you can pay a little.

Compounded semaglutide is legal through a licensed 503A or 503B pharmacy with a prescription. It is never FDA-approved, and it runs about $149 to $178 a month as the cheapest legitimate route.

The cheapest first month is rarely the cheapest year. Intro rates expire and annual prepay locks you in, so compounded semaglutide usually wins the twelve-month total.

The cheapest first month, the cheapest ongoing price and the cheapest full year are usually three different programs. Here are this week's winners.

The cheapest GLP-1 online right now is $149 a month: compounded semaglutide. The same drug runs up to about $1,000 depending on where you buy. Prices checked every Monday.

Strut Health starts at $149 a month, the lowest we track. Shed holds a flat $159 at every dose. Both come in under Mochi's $178. Here is the catch on each.

Most GLP-1 telehealth programs won't name the pharmacy that makes your compounded drug. We checked all 13. Only two name it.