Groundbreaking weight loss drugs are coming to Costco pharmacies nationwide.

On Friday, Novo Nordisk, the company known for Ozempic and Wegovy, revealed that Costco pharmacies will offer a four-week supply of these injectable pens for $499 without insurance.

Typically, the price can go beyond $1,300, but thanks to the manufacturer’s program, costs can decrease to $499. For those with commercial insurance and a savings card, the price might range from $0 to $25, depending on their plan.

Producers of successful weight loss medications like Novo Nordisk face competition from compounding pharmacies and clinics that provide more affordable, generic-like alternatives to their popular weight-loss medications.

Roughly six percent of the US adults, or about 15.5 million people, were using one of these or a similar drug for weight loss as of early 2025.

Even though customers will need a doctor’s prescription, the reduced price is significant as many insurance policies do not cover these drugs.

Ozempic and Wegovy both use the drug semaglutide but are approved for different uses. Ozempic is sanctioned by the FDA for diabetes treatment, while Wegovy targets obesity, and they are administered in varying doses.

The partnership with Costco partly arose from a wish to provide customers with ‘genuine, authentic’ medications at locations where patients seek care, according to David Moore, President of Novo Nordisk, who noted that Costco is seen as a reputable brand.

Costco members with a prescription will pay $499 for a one-month supply. Executive members and those with Costco Citibank credit cards will receive an additional two percent discount

While Costco members with a prescription will pay $499 for a one-month supply, executive members and those with Costco Citibank credit cards will receive an additional two percent discount. 

Moore said: ‘Our collaboration with Costco is another step forward by Novo Nordisk in making real Wegovy and Ozempic easier to access and afford — right where people already shop.

‘By partnering with one of the country’s most trusted retailers, we are meeting people where they are and connecting them to real, FDA-approved medicines in our premium pen devices with our $499 self-pay offer.’ 

Semaglutide works by mimicking a hormone that sends satiety signals to the brain, leading a person to stop eating. 

It also increases the feeling of being full for longer by slowing the rate at which the stomach empties, allowing people to go without snacking on junk food and giving in to cravings. 

Many users lose 10 percent or more of their body weight in about six months, though the drugs come with disruptive side effects, including nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal pain.

Some people suffer more severe adverse effects. Novo is facing lawsuits from patients across America who say they experienced extreme side effects that they were allegedly not warned about. 

Numerous patients report developing gastroparesis, a condition characterized by stomach paralysis.

Many users lose 10 percent or more of their body weight in about six months, though the drugs come with disruptive side effects, including nausea, diarrhea and abdominal pain (stock) 

The potentially life-threatening disorder causes food to accumulate in the stomach, leading to debilitating symptoms such as chronic nausea, vomiting, and severe abdominal pain. 

Gastroparesis can become so severe that it threatens your life, as in the case of Louisville’s Jacqueline Barber, 49. Barber told Time that her doctor said it would ‘work wonders’ for her diabetes.

Instead, she said it wrecked her stomach, and she became bed-bound, throwing up constantly for the year she was on the drug.

She dropped 140 pounds, her teeth began crumbling from the stomach acid and she had to start using a walker because she became so weak.

Brad Roberts’s story went from being one of a dream transformation to a medical nightmare. 

After losing nearly 150 pounds in six months using weight-loss drugs prescribed via telehealth, he even starred in an ad for his employer, LifeMD, celebrating his success. However, his rapid weight loss allegedly triggered a cascade of devastating health issues.

The father-of-four now claims in a lawsuit against the doctor who treated him, that he has so much pain in his joints, muscles and stomach after taking Ozempic that he spends up to 18 hours a day in bed. 

He is suing his doctor for medical malpractice, claiming the physician over-prescribed a dangerous combination of drugs. 

Roberts suffers from severe pain, equilibrium loss that makes walking difficult, muffled hearing, and constant tinnitus. 

Furthermore, his psychologist stated that he has lost his mental capacity, suffering from memory loss, slurred speech and an inability to manage basic tasks or understand emails.