Subscription-based app Noom has announced that it will offer a discounted, compounded GLP-1 drug through its new weight loss program.
As GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy continue to be pricey, in high demand, and hard to obtain, digital health company Noom has announced that it is partnering with a compounding pharmacy to offer its own semaglutide drug to patients starting at just $149 per month.
Noom is a subscription-based app that helps people lose weight by tracking their food and developing exercise habits while also using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help them change their relationship with food. Customers can also access branded weight loss drugs through the app, but the company is now increasing accessibility to GLP-1s by offering its own compounded version.
Other weight loss companies, such as Hims & Hers, have launched similar programs in recent months in response to growing demand for these medications amid high prices and drug shortages.
To access the drug, called Noom GLP-1Rx, patients will be evaluated by board-certified physicians with expertise in obesity and weight loss. Those who are deemed to qualify can receive the compounded weight loss medication containing the same active ingredient as Ozempic.
“As part of its program, Noom provides access to both compounded and brand-name GLP-1 medications,” said Noom CEO Geoff Cook in a news release. “While we hope for a future of widely available, low-cost brand-name medications and generic GLP-1s, we believe the bridge to that future runs through partnering with FDA-regulated compounding pharmacies.”
Compounding pharmacies create tailor-made versions of drugs to suit individual patients’ needs, and they can also produce versions of brand-name drugs that are in shortage. However, these facilities are not subject to the same U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) oversight as regular prescription drugs and can present more risks.
Noom says it has partnered with an FDA-regulated 503B compounding pharmacy.
The company also promises that the medications will arrive at patients’ doors within seven days of their order, costing $149 for the first month and increasing moderately as the dose itself increases after that. Currently, brand-name GLP-1s cost roughly $1,000 per month without insurance.
Alongside the medication, the company is offering a GLP-1 companion program, which aims to help people form lifestyle habits that can help them sustain weight loss in a healthy way. This includes dietary changes, exercise habits, and CBT.
Noom is also offering a “taper-off guarantee” for those who want to stop taking the medication after losing weight. While these medications are typically marketed as forever drugs, requiring individuals to take them for the rest of their lives to keep the weight off, Noom promises to help patients sustain their weight loss even without the drug. Research shows that most people eventually stop taking the drugs after a while either way.
The company says it will provide a year of free Noom or substantial medication discounts to anyone who regains the weight within 18 months following a 12-month course of Noom GLP-1Rx, including Noom’s taper protocol.
“Weight loss medication can be used as a ‘kickstart’ to help individuals achieve initial weight loss, which can provide a psychological boost and enhance motivation,” Cook said in the release. “However, to sustain this progress and avoid reliance on medication, tapering off the drug while introducing CBT can be highly effective. CBT helps individuals develop self-regulation skills, improve self-efficacy, and address underlying behaviors and thought patterns associated with overeating.”
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