Get Ozempic for less

Not long ago, the FDA announced there’s no longer a shortage of Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound or similar drugs used for weight loss. Is that good news for the millions of us who struggle with excess pounds? Not exactly. During the shortage, pharmacies were allowed to make special low-cost ‘compounded’ versions of the meds. But that ends as of April 22. “Now the only option will be to find the best possible deal on traditional forms of the drugs,” says NYU’s Alexandra Sowa, M.D., author of The Ozempic Revolution. Here, she and other experts help us do just that.

- ALLISON NEMETZ

Ashley lost 98 pounds!

"I was always 'the bigger friend,"" recalls Ashley Zeffiro, who once weighed 232 pounds. The New Jersey mom, 39, had success slimming down on her own and with Weight Watchers. But when her mom passed in 2021, stress eating led to regain. "I couldn't get back down again," she says. So she began using compounded tirzepatide for $300 per month. "I felt the effect immediately. For the first time ever, I'd go hours without thinking about food.

It made it easy to do what I knew I was supposed to do-like prioritizing protein and fiber. Or having just one cookie instead of the whole batch." She had no side effects. Today, Ashley's down 98 pounds and in great health. She feels amazing, but she worries about rising prices. "I'm looking into Zepbound vials-and hoping something happens to bring the costs down.

Because these drugs have been life-changing for me!"

For those who don’t know, Ozempic is part of a class of drugs called GLP-1 agonists, originally created to treat diabetes. They're a synthetic version of the natural hormone GLP-1, but they stay in our blood longer, so they're “up to 1,000 times stronger,” says Dr. Sowa.

Most are administered via a painless weekly injection. The most potent effect: “They tell the brain to not think about food,” she says. They also slow digestion, so you stay physically full longer. Plus, they help the pancreas manage blood sugar, a factor that improves diabetes and allows fat to burn faster.

Ozempic and Wegovy are brands of the drug semaglutide and “help an average person lose 15% of their body weight,” says the doc. Mounjaro and Zepbound, brands of the drug tirzepatide, “help you lose up to 25% of your body weight.”