If you’ve attempted to manage your weight, you’re likely aware of the challenges it presents. Reducing calorie intake can be a daunting task when your body constantly craves unhealthy foods and signals hunger. Thankfully, there’s a solution that can make a significant difference. Medications, when combined with certain lifestyle adjustments, can facilitate weight loss and its maintenance. Saxenda is one such medication, and people have been using it for over 7 years to address obesity. Wondering about the Saxenda cost? Read on to learn more.
Knowing more about Saxenda, including its administration, benefits, and monthly cost of Saxenda, is important when determining if it may be right for you. The Saxenda cost per month will vary depending on how high your dose is. Patients who achieve the maintenance dose pay around $1,400 monthly.
What Medication is Saxenda®?
Saxenda is a new name for a prescription drug called Liraglutide, which is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist that has been used for over 12 years under the name Ozempic to treat individuals with type 2 diabetes.
In December 2014, regulatory authorities approved Saxenda for treating obesity in both children and adults. Furthermore, the only differences between Ozempic and Saxenda are the usage and the dose given to the patient. Additionally, doctors use Ozempic to treat diabetes, while they use Saxenda to treat obesity, and they administer it in much higher doses.
Doctors prescribe Liraglutide, and patients should use it under their care. In a medical weight loss program, Saxenda is intended to be supplemented with diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes.
How Do You Use Saxenda?
Saxenda is delivered into the patient’s system through an injection given under the fatty portion of the skin in the thigh, abdomen, or upper arm. The prescription comes in a pre-filled injector pen that you can use multiple times, with just a needle change for each injection.
How Can Saxenda Help Me?
Saxenda is a great tool that can help patients lose weight. When used under a doctor’s supervision and in tandem with a low-calorie diet and an exercise plan. Saxenda can help you lose approximately 5-8% of your total body weight in two ways:
- Your body secretes a hormone that tells you that you are hungry. Saxenda suppresses that hormone and it stops telling your brain that you are hungry so you eat less and lose weight.
- Saxenda also works with that hormone to regulate your appetite by prolonging the feeling of “fullness,” so it doesn’t prompt you to eat as often.
What is the Cost of Saxenda?
Patients embarking on their medical weight loss program can conveniently obtain Saxenda in prefilled injector pens. Initially, they commence their journey with the lowest dose of Saxenda, starting at 0.6 mg daily. Subsequently, after one month, they incrementally increase the dosage until they reach the highest dose of 3 mg daily over 5 months.
The Saxenda cost per month will vary depending on how high your dose is because each pen will last a shorter amount of time. The pen is designed to deliver the chosen daily dose after the patient makes their selections using a rotating wheel on the pen.
Each Saxenda carton contains 5 pens (18 mg of the prescription total) and the retail cost of each Saxenda pack is approximately $1,698 but uninsured patients normally pay around $1,360 per pack through savings programs like GoodRx.
Example: If a patient is at the highest dose of 3 mg daily, a pen will last 6 days. If a month has 31 days and based on an average price of $1,399 for 5 pens, it will cost approximately $1,446 for 31 days.
Does Insurance Cover Saxenda?
Currently, only about 1 out of 3 insurance carriers offer coverage for obesity care and medical weight loss drugs; however, Saxenda may be covered by some insurance plans. Find out if Saxenda is covered by your plan and how much Saxenda costs with insurance.
It’s important to note that many times employers, not the insurance carrier, are the decision-makers about what is covered in your medical plan.
How Much Does Saxenda Cost without Insurance?
The cost of Saxenda without insurance averages around $1,399 per month when using a coupon from discount drug savings plans such as GoodRx.
The manufacturer offers savings cards that can help offset some of the cost of Saxenda for eligible patients. Restrictions apply but qualified patients could pay as little as $25 a month for the first 6 months.
Does Medicaid Cover Saxenda Cost?
Medicaid does not generally cover any medical weight loss medications however, the prescription coverage differs by state. Reach out to the Medicaid office in your state to check coverage options.
How Much Is Saxenda Cost at Walmart?
The price of Saxenda may vary depending on the pharmacy and geographical location. Additionally, the table below lists the prices of Saxenda at Walmart and other local pharmacies in Atlanta, GA obtained from GoodRx.com.
Pharmacy Prices For 5 Pre-filled Saxenda® Injector Pens* with GoodRx
| Pharmacy | Saxenda Cost |
|---|---|
| Publix | $1,333 |
| CVS | $1,391 |
| Walgreens | $1,400 |
| Walmart | $1,398 |
| Costco | $1,355 |
| Winn Dixie | $1,336 |
* While using Saxenda pens, it is crucial to use a new needle for each injection. Additionally, it’s important to note that the price of the prescription does not include needles, and you must purchase them separately. Moreover, through GoodRx, you can conveniently obtain a box of 100 Saxenda needles at an average cost of approximately $70.
Some patients may qualify for lower pricing of Saxenda through insurance coverage or a manufacturer’s savings card.
Is There a Generic for Saxenda®?
Unfortunately, there is not currently a generic medication for Saxenda. However, another medication works very similarly and may have benefits over Saxenda. IBI Healthcare provides SlimMed, another prescription drug used as part of medically supervised weight loss. SlimMed (Semaglutide) provides the benefits of:
Greater Weight Loss Potential
SlimMed clinical trial results offered at least twice the weight loss potential over Saxenda – 10-16% of total body weight.
Lower Cost
SlimMed averages at least a 50% savings off the cost of Saxenda.
Fewer Injections
SlimMed is administered by injection only once a week. Comes in a prefilled pen that includes a needle. The cost of needles is about $25 per month for Saxenda.
However, IBI Healthcare Institute actively partners with patients to provide comprehensive support throughout their weight loss journey and beyond. Nonetheless, if you are interested in medical weight loss programs that feature Saxenda or SlimMed, please contact IBI Healthcare Institute to schedule a consultation. In addition, for extra savings on your initial purchase, you can conveniently order SlimMed online.
