GLP-1 Drugs and TrumpRX: What This Means for You

This article discusses an important change in treatment options for people who have limited or no coverage for the most effective weight loss medications in 2025. This article is not political.

On Thursday, November 6th, 2025, the Trump administration announced important news about lowering the prices of injectable weight loss medications and future pill versions. Before we talk about what this means, let's look at the story of how these medications were created and how much they cost.

The History of GLP-1 Medications

Injectable GLP-1 medications for treating diabetes started in 2005 with a drug called Byetta. Years later, two new medications were approved by the FDA for weight loss: Wegovy in 2021 and Zepbound in 2024. The "Ozempic weight loss craze" began in December 2021 when many celebrities started using it to lose weight. When these medications first came out, they were very expensive. Without insurance, Wegovy cost about $1,350 per month, and Zepbound cost about $1,086 per month.

Why Are These Medications So Expensive?

It's important to understand that these medications didn't appear overnight. It costs a lot of money to find, develop, and sell a new medication. Both companies spent nearly $10 billion dollars on research and development. This included building special factories to make enough medication for everyone who needs it.

The Shortage and Compounding Pharmacies

When these medications became popular, the companies couldn't make enough to meet the demand. The FDA put them on a shortage list. This allowed special pharmacies called compounding pharmacies to make similar versions of the medications. In 2024, doctors wrote 80 million prescriptions for these compounded medications. The compounded versions were much cheaper: about $279 to $400 per month for semaglutide (like Wegovy) and $299 to $399 per month for tirzepatide (like Zepbound).

Around April 2025, the shortage ended, and compounded medications were no longer available. The drug companies started offering cheaper options that people could buy directly. Zepbound's lowest dose cost $349, and other doses cost $499. All doses of Wegovy cost $499.

The Medicare and Medicaid Problem

The biggest problem was that Medicare didn't cover medications made specifically for weight loss. This created a difficult situation because many Medicare patients need these medications the most. They have health problems that would improve if they could lose weight, but most couldn't afford to pay for the medications themselves.

Medicaid is different from Medicare. Medicare is run by the federal government, but each state runs its own Medicaid program. As of 2025, only about 13 states offered Medicaid coverage for GLP-1 medications for weight loss (not just diabetes).

What Is TrumpRX?

The new TrumpRX plan uses something called Most Favored Nation (MFN) pricing. Here's how it works: When drug companies sell medications to other developed countries, those countries can negotiate lower prices. This means people in other countries often pay much less than Americans for the same medication. This has been a problem for decades.

In 2020, there was an attempt to use MFN pricing for Medicare medications, but it was challenged in court. The current administration used executive orders to bring drug companies back to the negotiating table.

What Does This Mean for You?

If you don't have insurance coverage and don't have Medicare or Medicaid, the TrumpRX pharmacy will let you buy these weight loss medications for much less money. Wegovy will cost around $250 per month, and Zepbound will cost around $345 per month. Even better news: when the FDA approves pill versions of these medications, they will cost only $149 per month.

The Bottom Line

American consumers will finally start getting the same lower prices for brand-name medications that people in other advanced countries have enjoyed for years. Doctors will be able to prescribe the best medications for their patients, knowing more people can afford them. This is great news, but we must remember that some people still won't be able to afford even these lower prices. While we could wish for even bigger changes, this is a wonderful step forward for people struggling with obesity and related health problems like diabetes, high blood pressure, and sleep apnea.

This article is for informational purposes only. Please discuss with your healthcare provider if you have further questions.

Stay Healthy, Stay Strong

Dr. Leon Katz
https://Drkatzweightloss.com