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3mo ago

GLP-1 Weight-Loss Push Intensifies as Novo Leads Ads and Wegovy Pill Drives Telehealth Uptake

New disclosures show continued lobbying on pricing, Medicare coverage, and access despite public deals with the Trump administration.

A person walks past a Ro ad featuring Serena Williams, in the New York City subway, U.S., in this undated handout image. Ro/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES. MANDATORY CREDIT.
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Overview

  • Novo Nordisk spent about $487 million on U.S. ads for Wegovy and Ozempic in the first nine months of 2025, more than double Eli Lilly’s roughly $214 million, according to MediaRadar data reported by Reuters.
  • Novo plans immediate promotion of the new Wegovy pill through cash-pay, direct-to-consumer channels, reflecting uneven insurance coverage for GLP-1 therapies in the U.S.
  • Telehealth provider Ro reports a surge of new customers for the Wegovy pill at an introductory $149 per month for starter doses through mid-April, and it plans a Super Bowl spot featuring Serena Williams.
  • Wegovy’s pill, launched Jan. 5, is currently the only GLP‑1 pill approved for weight loss, while the FDA review of a competing Lilly pill is ongoing with a decision expected in April, per Reuters.
  • Lobbying records show late‑2025 spending tied to GLP‑1 pricing and coverage by Novo ($2.12 million in Q4), Lilly ($2.2 million), Boehringer Ingelheim ($580,000), and others, as lawsuits alleging severe side effects have reached about 4,400 plaintiffs since 2023.