Novo Nordisk is partnering with Costco to offer the retailer’s members Ozempic and Wegovy for $499 per month, or about half off what the medications cost patients without insurance. Novo tapping into Costco’s customer base of over 100 million US cardholders is a savvy play, especially considering that Costco members skew toward higher-income compared with shoppers generally. Novo and Costco can specifically market to new mothers and families broadly who may be struggling with weight gain due to their busy lives.

GoodRx is partnering with Kroger pharmacies to roll out a medication savings program for branded drugs, including Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy. Kroger has a great opportunity to market healthy food offerings through its grocery business to people picking up GLP-1 prescriptions at its pharmacy. This might involve pharmacist-led medication management, tailored marketing for store products that support GLP-1 use (e.g., high-protein, low-calorie, fiber-rich), and access to nutrition guidance and resources.

Doctors started paying more attention to information and ads for new weight loss drugs months before they began prescribing them, according to research from ZoomRx. The study tracked obesity health-related web browsing and ad exposures for 279 healthcare providers on digital channels and 204 on TV and connected TV. Pharma companies need to find where doctors are searching or reading about Rx drugs and how their interest in a drug’s information is changing, even before the sales numbers are in. Track Reddit forums and physician social media channels like Sermo and Doximity to gauge behaviors and attitudes and shift marketing plans to meet them. Use sales reps and peer-led webinars to capture early interest—and keep refreshing that marketing with updated data and patient results as competing entrants begin to pull attention away.

Obesity drugs are cost effective and provide good value despite high price tags, according to analysis from the Institute for Clinical Economic Review (ICER). It’s still early in the GLP-1 weight loss drug market with only two approved medicines, but a massive pipeline of more than 170 drugs in development. While Novo and Lilly have significantly dropped D2C prices, we think it’s going to take more competition in the market and different drug delivery methods to get to affordable and accessible pricing. Marketers should consider lower prices, but also digital tools to improve adherence, manage side effects, and offer lifestyle support.

The news: Eli Lilly’s stock plunged about 14% on Thursday as clinical results of its experimental obesity pill orforglipron fell short of Wall Street expectations. Our take: We think Lilly has the edge over Novo, despite Thursday’s market reversal due to Lilly’s obesity pill falling short in its trial. That’s likely just a near-term blip—12% weight loss in a little over a year validates that the medication is quite effective, especially when considering that most people would prefer a pill to injecting themselves. Lilly also has in its favor that Zepbound drives better weight loss results than Wegovy, while it faces less competition from the copycat GLP-1 market since semaglutide is more commonly compounded than tirzepatide.

The news: Novo Nordisk’s stock plunged over 20% on Tuesday after it cut full-year guidance, citing lower-than-expected sales growth for Wegovy, its blockbuster weight loss drug. Our take: Despite the recent slump, we think Novo is well positioned to rebound. It remains one of two dominant players in the weight loss drug space and is still posting profit growth, albeit below Wall Street expectations. With the US adult obesity rate expected to hit 50% by 2030, the market opportunity is huge. Meanwhile, regulators are likely going to make it more difficult for compounded drugs to be sold as long as brand-name forms stay off the FDA’s drug shortage list.

Novo Nordisk’s CEO steps down: Investor panic and a slumping stock may have been driving factors. Despite falling behind Eli Lilly in the weight loss drug market, recent moves around oral GLP-1 development put Novo in a strong position.

CVS puts Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy (not Lilly’s Zepbound) on commercial drug formularies: Market reaction to the decision affirms how much influence PBMs like CVS Caremark have over prescription drug access. Eli Lilly may need to explore creative pricing strategies to improve access to Zepbound.

Novo Nordisk and Hims go from competitors to partners: The deal signals Novo’s desire to capture patients transitioning off compounded GLP-1s. All eyes turn to Eli Lilly, which at last check said it’s not affiliating with Hims.

Self-pay patients can now get discounted Wegovy at retail pharmacies: It’s a smart play on the part of Novo Nordisk to make its GLP-1 available at pharmacies where most consumers still get their prescriptions. Will rival Eli Lilly follow suit?

Novo Nordisk launches D2C platform, drops price of Wegovy for cash-pay patients: The move could start a marketing showdown—and possible price war—between Novo and Lilly.

The Ozempic shortage is over: We explore how an FDA decision impacts compounded weight loss drug sellers like Hims & Hers and patients who are prescribed GLP-1s.

It’s about to get a lot harder to get cheap GLP-1s: Rising costs may force consumers to cut back on discretionary spending, creating headwinds for retailers already fearing tariff-driven cost increases.

CMS unveils list of drugs for the next round of Medicare price negotiations: Drugmakers’ efforts to win over the Trump administration could amend the process in their favor—up to a certain point.

Households with GLP-1 users slash their spending on groceries: Food companies need to adapt to the shifting buying patterns of consumers on GLP-1s to stay competitive.

Eli Lilly and Ro join forces to offer lower price vials of Zepbound: Seeing competitors become business partners may seem surprising, but we detail why the deal makes sense for both parties.

Hims to offer a generic GLP-1 in 2025: It’s preparing for headwinds if the FDA halts compounded versions of weight loss drugs. But we think its diverse D2C offerings and strong subscriber growth should help insulate it financially.

Novo asks FDA to ban compounders from making GLP-1 copies: The drugmaker argues Ozempic’s key ingredient is too complex to make safely, even during shortages. With patient access to affordable GLP-1s on the line, the FDA has a difficult decision to make.

Bad actors flood the GLP-1 weight loss drug market: Until the cost of branded GLP-1s drops, illegal online pharmacies advertising falsified versions of the drugs will keep lingering.