Anyone who has tried to get their weight under control knows that it can seem impossible. It is hard to cut way back on calories when your body keeps craving unhealthy foods and reminding you that you are hungry! This is where a little extra help can go a long way. There are medications that when used in conjunction with some lifestyle changes can help individuals lose weight and keep it off. Saxenda is one of those medications and has been used for over 7 years to treat obesity.
It is important to know a bit more about Saxenda, how it is administered, its benefits, and the Saxenda cost per month 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 achieved the maintenance dose pay around $1,400 monthly.
What Medication Is Saxenda®?
Saxenda is a new name for a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist prescription drug called Liraglutide that has been used for over 12 years under the name Ozempic to treat individuals with type 2 diabetes.
In December 2014, Saxenda was approved for use in treating obesity in both children and adults. The only differences between Ozempic and Saxenda are the usage and the dose given to the patient. Ozempic is used to treat diabetes and Saxenda is used to treat obesity and is given in much higher doses.
Liraglutide is available by prescription only and is meant to be used under the care of a doctor. When used as part of a medical weight loss program Saxenda is intended to be subsidized with diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes.
How Do You Use Saxenda?
Saxenda is delivered into the patient’s system through an injection that is 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 can be used 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 that feeling of “fullness” so you are not prompted to eat as often.
What Is the Cost of Saxenda?
Saxenda is available in prefilled injector pens with patients beginning their medical weight loss program at the lowest dose of Saxenda (0.6 mg daily) and working their way up to the highest dose (3 mg daily) over a 5-month period. Each dose is taken for one month and then increased.
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 is important to note that many times employers are the decision-makers about what is covered in your medical plan and not the insurance carrier.
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?
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 at Walmart?
The price of Saxenda will vary by pharmacy and geographic location. The current price for Saxenda at Walmart and other local pharmacies in Atlanta, GA using GoodRx.com are listed in the table below.
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 |
*Saxenda pens require the use of a new needle for every injection. Needles are not included in the price of the prescription and must be purchased separately. The average cost for Saxenda needles through GoodRx is about $70 for a box of 100 needles.
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, there is another medication that works very similarly and may have benefits over Saxenda.
Semaglutide is another prescription drug that is used as part of a medically supervised weight loss program. SlimMed (Semaglutide) is offered by IBI Healthcare Institute and offers the benefits of:
- Greater weight loss potential – during 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 and does not require additional needles – SlimMed is administered by injection only once a week and comes in a prefilled pen that includes a needle. The cost of needles is about $25 per month for Saxenda.
If you are interested in participating in a medical weight loss program, please contact IBI Healthcare Institute to set up a consultation. Our team of knowledgeable professionals will be happy to discuss Saxenda, SlimMed, and other weight loss medication options.
At IBI Healthcare Institute, we partner with our patients and provide support from the onset of their weight loss journey and beyond.
To learn more about medical weight loss programs with Saxenda or SlimMed, contact IBI Healthcare Institute for a consultation. you can also order SlimMed online for additional savings on your first purchase.
