• Eligible Medicare patients living with obesity will have access to Wegovy^® (semaglutide) injection and pill for a $50 monthly copay
• Wegovy^® offers adults living with obesity significant weight loss, along with diet and exercise, and is FDA-approved to lower the risk of major CV events such as death, heart attack, or stroke in adults living with obesity with known heart disease, a claim only Wegovy^® can make
• Novo Nordisk’s participation in the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge expands patient access to authentic, FDA-approved Wegovy^®

PLAINSBORO, N.J., May 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Medicare GLP-1 Bridge will provide eligible Medicare beneficiaries living with obesity access to Wegovy^® (semaglutide) injection and tablets for a $50 monthly copay^†, beginning July 1, 2026, per yesterday’s announcement from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The program represents a meaningful milestone in making FDA-approved Wegovy^® accessible for millions of America’s Medicare patients living with obesity, who can now work with their healthcare professional to start and stay on proven, FDA-approved treatment.

“Obesity is a serious, common chronic disease facing older Americans, and Wegovy^® is the only weight management medicine proven to reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death in patients who also have known heart disease. That distinction matters for seniors age 65 and older, who have a high burden of both conditions,” said Jamey Millar, executive vice president, US Operations of Novo Nordisk. “We welcome the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge as an important step in getting Wegovy^® to more patients and will continue to work with CMS, healthcare professionals, pharmacists, and patient advocates to support implementation and help eligible seniors access the care they need and deserve.”

The Medicare GLP-1 Bridge provides eligible patients access to Wegovy^® for weight management. The Medicare GLP-1 Bridge will be available nationwide across all states and territories, providing eligible patients access to all doses and formulations of Wegovy^® injection and Wegovy^® pill, and will run through the end of 2027. It is important to note that Wegovy^® will be available for eligible Medicare beneficiaries for the other FDA-approved indications through their normal Part D benefits, including to reduce the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in adults with established CV disease with either obesity or overweight.

Novo Nordisk is actively working with CMS, healthcare professionals, pharmacists, and patient advocacy organizations to streamline implementation, raise awareness among eligible beneficiaries, and help ensure patients can access the medicines they need. Additional program details are available at CMS.gov.

Expanding affordable access to medicines is a priority for Novo Nordisk, and the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge builds on a sustained effort to ensure patients can access authentic, FDA-approved Wegovy^®. Patients seeking information on affordability options, with or without insurance, are encouraged to visit NovoCare.com.

^†Terms apply. For eligible Medicare patients prescribed Wegovy^® for a covered FDA-approved indication. Eligibility criteria will be determined by CMS. This information is not a guarantee of coverage. Month defined as 1 box of 4 pens of Wegovy^® and 1 bottle of 30 tablets of Wegovy^®.

About obesity
Obesity is a serious, chronic, progressive, and complex disease that requires long-term management.^1-3 One key misunderstanding is that this is a disease of just lack of willpower, when in fact there is underlying biology that may impede people living with obesity from losing weight and keeping it off.^1,3 Obesity is influenced by a variety of factors, including genetics, social determinants of health, and the environment.^4,5

About Novo Nordisk
Novo Nordisk is a leading global healthcare company that’s been making innovative medicines to help people with diabetes lead longer, healthier lives for more than 100 years. This heritage has given us experience and capabilities that also enable us to drive change to help people defeat other serious chronic diseases such as obesity, rare blood and endocrine disorders. We remain steadfast in our conviction that the formula for lasting success is to stay focused, think long-term, and do business in a financially, socially, and environmentally responsible way. With a US presence spanning 40 years, Novo Nordisk US is headquartered in New Jersey and employs approximately 10,000 people throughout the country across more than 10 manufacturing, R&D and corporate locations in seven states plus Washington DC. For more information, visit novonordisk-us.com, Facebook, Instagram, and X.

What is Wegovy^®?
Wegovy^® (semaglutide) injection is a prescription medicine used with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity to:

• reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events such as death, heart attack, or stroke in adults with known heart disease and with either obesity or overweight.
• help adults and children aged 12 years and older with obesity, or some adults with excess weight (overweight) who also have weight-related medical problems to lose weight and keep the weight off.

Wegovy^® (semaglutide) tablets are a prescription medicine used with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity to:

• reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events such as death, heart attack, or stroke in adults with known heart disease and with either obesity or overweight.
• help adults with obesity, or some adults with excess weight (overweight) who also have weight related medical problems to lose weight and keep the weight off.

Wegovy^® contains semaglutide and should not be used with other semaglutide-containing products or other GLP-1 receptor agonist medicines.

It is not known if Wegovy^® injection is safe and effective:

• to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events (death, heart attack, or stroke) in people under 18 years
• to help children under 12 years of age lose weight and keep the weight off.

It is not known if Wegovy^® tablets are safe and effective for use in people under 18 years of age.

Important Safety Information

What is the most important information I should know about Wegovy^®?

Wegovy^® may cause serious side effects, including:

• Possible thyroid tumors, including cancer. Tell your healthcare provider if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, hoarseness, trouble swallowing, or shortness of breath. These may be symptoms of thyroid cancer. In studies with rodents, Wegovy^® and other medicines that work like Wegovy^® caused thyroid tumors, including thyroid cancer. It is not known if Wegovy^® will cause thyroid tumors or a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) in people
• Do not use Wegovy^® if you or any of your family have ever had a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or if you have an endocrine system condition called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2)

Do not use Wegovy^® if:

• you or any of your family have ever had a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or if you have an endocrine system condition called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2)
• you have had a serious allergic reaction to semaglutide or any of the ingredients in Wegovy^® injection or Wegovy^® tablets. See symptoms of serious allergic reaction in “What are the possible side effects of Wegovy^®?”

Before using Wegovy^®, tell your healthcare provider if you have any other medical conditions, including if you:

• have or have had problems with your pancreas or kidneys
• have type 2 diabetes and a history of diabetic retinopathy
• are scheduled to have surgery or other procedures that use anesthesia or deep sleepiness (deep sedation)
• are pregnant or plan to become pregnant. Wegovy^® may harm your unborn baby. You should stop using Wegovy^® 2 months before you plan to become pregnant
• are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. Breastfeeding is not recommended during treatment with Wegovy^® tablets. It is not known if Wegovy^® when received through an injection passes into your breast milk

Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Wegovy^® may affect the way some medicines work and some medicines may affect the way Wegovy^® works. Tell your healthcare provider if you are taking other medicines to treat diabetes, including sulfonylureas or insulin. Wegovy^® slows stomach emptying and can affect medicines that need to pass through the stomach quickly.

What are the possible side effects of Wegovy^®?
Wegovy^® may cause serious side effects, including:

• inflammation of your pancreas (pancreatitis). Stop using Wegovy® and call your healthcare provider right away if you have severe pain in your stomach area (abdomen) that will not go away, with or without nausea or vomiting. Sometimes you may feel the pain from your abdomen to your back
• gallbladder problems. Wegovy^® may cause gallbladder problems, including gallstones. Some gallstones may need surgery. Call your healthcare provider if you have symptoms, such as pain in your upper stomach (abdomen), fever, yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice), or clay-colored stools
• increased risk of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), especially those who also take medicines for diabetes such as insulin or sulfonylureas. This can be a serious side effect. Talk to your healthcare provider about how to recognize and treat low blood sugar and check your blood sugar before you start and while you take Wegovy®. Signs and symptoms of low blood sugar may include dizziness or light-headedness, blurred vision, anxiety, irritability or mood changes, sweating, slurred speech, hunger, confusion or drowsiness, shakiness, weakness, headache, fast heartbeat, or feeling jittery
• dehydration leading to kidney problems. Diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting may cause a loss of fluids (dehydration), which may cause kidney problems. It is important for you to drink fluids to help reduce your chance of dehydration. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea that does not go away
• severe stomach problems. Stomach problems, sometimes severe, have been reported in people who use Wegovy^®. Tell your healthcare provider if you have stomach problems that are severe or will not go away
• serious allergic reactions. Stop using Wegovy^® and get medical help right away if you have any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat; problems breathing or swallowing; severe rash or itching; fainting or feeling dizzy; or very rapid heartbeat
• change in vision in people with type 2 diabetes. Tell your healthcare provider if you have changes in vision during treatment with Wegovy^®
• increased heart rate. Wegovy^® can increase your heart rate while you are at rest. Tell your healthcare provider if you feel your heart racing or pounding in your chest and it lasts for several minutes
• food or liquid getting into the lungs during surgery or other procedures that use anesthesia or deep sleepiness (deep sedation). Wegovy^® may increase the chance of food getting into your lungs during surgery or other procedures. Tell all your healthcare providers that you are taking Wegovy^® before you are scheduled to have surgery or other procedures

The most common side effects of Wegovy^® may include: nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, stomach (abdomen) pain, changes in skin sensations, headache, tiredness (fatigue), upset stomach, dizziness, feeling bloated, belching, low blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, gas, stomach flu, heartburn, and hair loss.

Please click here for Prescribing Information including Boxed Warning and Medication Guide for Wegovy^®.

Contacts for further information

References:

1. Kaplan LM, Golden A, Jinnett K, et al. Perceptions of barriers to effective obesity care: results from the national action study. Obesity. 2018;26(1):61–69.
2. Bray GA, Kim KK, Wilding JPH; World Obesity Federation. Obesity: a chronic relapsing progressive disease process. A position statement of the World Obesity Federation. Obes Rev. 2017;18(7):715–723.
3. Garvey WT, Mechanick JI, Brett EM, et al. American association of clinical endocrinologists and American College of Endocrinology comprehensive clinical practice guidelines for medical care of patients with obesity. Endocr Pract. 2016;22 (Suppl 3):1–203.
4. Wharton S, Lingvay I, Bogdanski P, et al. Oral semaglutide 25 mg in adults with overweight or obesity. N Engl J Med. 2025; 393:1077-1087. DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa2500969.
5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Risk Factors for Obesity. Last accessed: December 2025. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/risk-factors/risk-factors.html

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SOURCE Novo Nordisk