Brand-name GLP-1s are FDA-approved: Zepbound, Wegovy and Foundayo were studied in large clinical trials and are made by their manufacturers. Compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide are prepared by a licensed pharmacy for one patient’s prescription; they are not FDA-approved, and the brands’ trial results do not carry over to them. On price, a brand bought self-pay is two bills, the prescriber’s fee plus the maker’s price. A compounded program is usually one all-in monthly price.
Gentle Health’s doctor prescribes both, through the same intake. Here is how they differ and what each costs with us.
What is actually different
Approval and evidence. Each brand-name medicine was reviewed by the FDA for safety, effectiveness and manufacturing quality, and its label describes the trials behind it. Compounded medications skip that review. They are legal to prescribe under specific conditions, but they are not generic or equivalent versions of any brand, and no trial result for a brand applies to them.
Who makes it. Brands come from Eli Lilly (Zepbound, Foundayo) or Novo Nordisk (Wegovy) and are bought through their direct-to-patient services, LillyDirect or NovoCare; licensed partner pharmacies dispense the medicine. Our compounded medicine is prepared by a state-licensed pharmacy compounding under Section 503A, for your individual prescription. How that pharmacy model works is in what 503A and 503B pharmacies are.
The forms available through us.
| Brand-name | Compounded | |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly tirzepatide injection | Zepbound single-dose vials, or the KwikPen (4 doses per pen) | compounded tirzepatide |
| Weekly semaglutide injection | Wegovy single-dose pen, needle built in | compounded semaglutide |
| Daily oral option | Foundayo tablet (orforglipron), with or without food | no marketed compounded oral option |
Foundayo is a different medicine from compounded semaglutide or tirzepatide. Its clinical-trial evidence does not transfer to compounded preparations.
What each costs per month with Gentle Health
Brand-name care: you pay us $28/month for the doctor’s care, and you pay for the medicine separately through LillyDirect or NovoCare. How our care fee compares with other online providers is on our comparison page. Maker self-pay prices as of October 19, 2026:
| Stage | Zepbound (LillyDirect) | Wegovy pen (NovoCare) | Foundayo (LillyDirect) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting | $28 + $299 (2.5 mg) to $399 (5 mg) | $28 + $349 (0.25–0.5 mg); new patients pay $199 for the first two fills | $28 + $149 (0.8–2.5 mg) |
| Middle | $28 + $449 (7.5–10 mg)* | $28 + $349 (1–1.7 mg) | $28 + $199 (5.5 mg) |
| High | $28 + $449 (12.5–15 mg)* | $28 + $349 (2.4 mg), or $28 + $399 (Wegovy HD 7.2 mg) | $28 + $299 (9–17.2 mg)* |
*Requires refilling within 45 days of your last delivery. Otherwise Zepbound is $499 at 7.5 mg and $699 at 10–15 mg, and Foundayo is $349 at 14.5 and 17.2 mg. - Foundayo’s 2.5 mg and 5.5 mg prices are reduced only through December 31, 2026. - Wegovy’s new-patient price applies to prescriptions written and received by December 31, 2026. - Sources: LillyDirect, LillyDirect Foundayo and NovoCare’s Wegovy savings offer, including the $399/month Wegovy HD 7.2 mg price checked October 23, 2026.
Compounded care: one monthly price by dose tier, with the medication included.
| Medicine | Starting tier | Middle tier | High tier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tirzepatide injection | $169 (2.5–5 mg/wk) | $219 (>5–10 mg/wk) | $269 (>10–15 mg/wk) |
| Semaglutide injection | $135 (0.24–0.48 mg/wk) | $159 (>0.48–1.2 mg/wk) | $199 (>1.2–2.4 mg/wk) |
Why prices for the same active ingredient vary so much from seller to seller is explained in why GLP-1 prices vary.
What is included, and what you commit to
| Brand-name care | Compounded care | |
|---|---|---|
| Doctor’s care, messaging and video visits | included in $28 | included |
| Medication | bought separately from LillyDirect or NovoCare | included |
| Injection supplies | Wegovy pens have the needle built in; Zepbound needles and syringes are bought separately | included with every injectable order |
| Shipping | free from LillyDirect and NovoCare | overnight refrigerated shipping, included |
| When you pay us | only once the doctor writes the prescription | monthly |
| Commitment | none; cancel any time | two-month minimum when you start; after each refill, you can cancel 30 days after you request it |
The dispensing pharmacy texts or emails you a checkout link once the prescription arrives through LillyDirect or NovoCare. More on that process is in how LillyDirect works.
When insurance changes the answer
We don’t bill insurance for either option. But if your commercial plan covers Zepbound, Wegovy or Foundayo, the makers’ savings cards can bring a covered fill down to as little as $25 a month. If you are on Medicare and eligible, the temporary Medicare GLP-1 Bridge covers Wegovy, the Zepbound KwikPen and Foundayo for weight management with a $50 monthly copay through December 31, 2027. Either is likely to cost less than self-pay, so check your coverage first.
How to decide
The choice is clinical as much as financial, so make it with your doctor. A few questions help frame it: - Do you want an FDA-approved product with published trial evidence? That points to a brand. - Do you want a pill? Foundayo is an FDA-approved daily tablet, taken with or without food. Our marketed compounded options are weekly injections. - Which device suits you? Wegovy pens are single-use with a built-in needle. A Zepbound KwikPen holds four doses, and the vials need a syringe. - What is the total you will pay at your likely maintenance dose? Compare that total, not the starting price. - How much flexibility do you want? Brand-name care can be cancelled any time; compounded care starts with a two-month minimum.
One intake for either
You don’t have to decide before you start. The intake is the same, and you can tell the doctor which you would prefer. Our doctor reviews it in writing, or by video visit where your state requires one, in all 41 jurisdictions where our physician is licensed. The doctor then recommends what fits your health history.
For a brand, the prescription goes through LillyDirect or NovoCare to a dispensing pharmacy. For compounded medicine, a licensed pharmacy prepares it and ships it to you. The step-by-step for each brand is in getting a Zepbound prescription online and getting a Wegovy prescription online.
Gentle Health does not prescribe Mounjaro, Ozempic or the Wegovy pill, and is not affiliated with Eli Lilly or Novo Nordisk.
Frequently asked questions
Is compounded semaglutide the same as Wegovy? No. Both contain semaglutide, but compounded semaglutide is not FDA-approved, is not a generic or equivalent version of Wegovy, and Wegovy’s trial results do not apply to it.
Is brand-name or compounded cheaper? It depends on the medicine and dose. Brand-name care with us is $28/month plus the maker’s self-pay price; compounded care is one price by dose tier with the medication included. Compare the totals at your likely dose.
Can Gentle Health prescribe brand-name GLP-1s? Yes: Zepbound, the Wegovy pen and Foundayo, in all 41 jurisdictions we serve. You pay us $28/month for the doctor’s care and buy the medicine from LillyDirect or NovoCare.
Can I switch from compounded to brand-name later? You can ask your doctor about switching at any time. Whether to switch, and to what dose, is the doctor’s decision based on your health and how you are responding.
Does insurance cover compounded GLP-1s? Generally no, and we don’t bill insurance for either option. If your plan covers a brand-name GLP-1, that route may cost less, and it is worth checking first.
Dr. James Simmons, MD