Cr | Istock | Getty Images Health-care marketplace Sesame on Wednesday announced a new clinical weight loss program that will help eligible consumers access compounded versions of Novo Nordisk 's blockbuster obesity drug Wegovy for $249 per month. Sesame allows patients to book and pay for appointments with doctors and specialists directly through its website, so it cuts out middlemen such as insurers. The company said it is adding compounded semaglutide — the active ingredient in Wegovy and Novo Nordisk's diabetes injection Ozempic — to its platform to help users safely access obesity and diabetes treatments at a time when many of the branded drugs are in short supply .
Sesame already offers branded weight loss and diabetes drugs through its platform, including through a partnership with Costco . But the company's new program could serve as a more affordable weight loss alternative, as compounded medications are typically cheaper than their branded counterparts. Wegovy and Ozempic both cost roughly $1,000 per month before insurance, and most weight loss programs from competing digital health companies do not include the cost of those medications.
"We are, based on this drug supply shortage, on behalf of American consumers, making a version of compounded semaglutide available to our users at ...
[a] very accessible price point," Michael Botta, president and co-founder of Sesame, told CNBC in an interview. "In fact, we think it's probably the most affordable price point th.