FDA Approves Wegovy GLP-1 Weight Loss Daily Drug
Wegovy’s daily pill form will soon be available to consumers after the FDA approves the drug.
CVS Health announced it will resume coverage of Eli Lilly’s blockbuster weight-loss injection Zepbound and begin covering the anti-obesity drug Foundayo for millions of Americans with private insurance plans.
Coverage of Zepbound begins October 1st, and coverage of Lilly’s weight loss drug Foundayo begins June 1st. This coverage is based on a standard template from CVS Caremark, the prescription drug manager used by millions of Americans’ insurance companies and employers.
A year ago, CVS Caremark signed a deal to make Novo Nordisk’s anti-obesity drug Wegoby a priority GLP-1 treatment, without extending the same status as Zepbound. Novo Nordisk said in a statement that Wigovy, which is currently sold as both an injectable and a weight-loss drug, will continue in CVS Caremark’s standard plans “without interruption.”
Both Lilly and Novo’s weight-loss drugs will be listed as priority drugs on CVS Caremark’s Standard Formulary, a list of prescription drugs that insurance companies and employers can choose to cover. Insurance companies and employers that provide insurance benefits to most working-age Americans will be able to customize their coverage.
CVS said bringing Zepbound back into its plans was “what our customers asked us to do,” and that’s the weight loss drug’s “affordability and optionality.”
CVS Caremark becomes the third major pharmacy benefit manager to cover Lilly’s anti-obesity drug, known as PBM, according to the drug company. Two other major PBMs are UnitedHealth Group’s Optum and CIGNA’s Express Scripts.
Will more employers cover GLP-1 weight loss drugs?
Employers who provide insurance benefits to workers and their families face increasing costs due to rising health care costs. The average family of four will spend $37,824 on health care costs in 2026, according to consultant Milliman.
One of the fastest-growing areas of health spending is pharmacy costs, which will increase by nearly 15% in 2026 due to spending on GLP-1 and specialty drugs, Milliman said.
A study by benefits consultant Mercer found that 49% of large employers will cover GLP-1 drugs in 2025, up from 41% in 2023. A 2025 survey by the health policy nonprofit KFF said 43% of large employers covered GLP-1 drugs for weight loss. Smaller companies were less likely to cover pharmaceuticals.
Novo and Lilly have lowered prices for consumers whose insurance plans don’t cover weight loss drugs. Cash-paying customers can buy Wegovy and Zepbound from drug companies, telemedicine portals, retailers like Costco and Sam’s Club, or the Trump administration’s direct-to-consumer site TrumpRx.
CVS did not disclose pricing under the deal to bring back Zepbound on standard plans, but said it “worked with manufacturers to ensure more affordable pricing.”
Consumers also have more choice in which prescription weight loss drugs they choose. Lilly launched its weight-loss drug Foundayo in April after receiving approval from the Food and Drug Administration. Novo Nordisk’s Wigovy tablet became the first FDA-approved GLP-1 tablet in December 2025.
More weight loss drugs are in development and could be on the market later this year. On May 21, Lilly announced results from a late-stage study showing its next-generation weight loss shot Ritartide resulted in dramatic weight loss in obese patients. Lilly may seek FDA approval later this year.
