Contrave (naltrexone/bupropion) vs Ozempic (semaglutide, diabetes label)
Contrave is the better choice of the two, winning on entry price (halfrx score 6.3 against 5.1).
Computed from the stored fields, so it moves when a price does. Nothing here is written by hand or by a model.
Which is cheaper, Contrave (naltrexone/bupropion) or Ozempic (semaglutide, diabetes label)?
Contrave (naltrexone/bupropion) is $99 a month all-in, read from its own page on 2026-09-22; Ozempic (semaglutide, diabetes label) is $199–$499, read from its own page on 2026-09-22. At the maintenance dose the gap is $250 a month, which is $3,349 across a year, counting 12 fills for Contrave (naltrexone/bupropion) and 13 for Ozempic (semaglutide, diabetes label). Trial weight loss was 5.4% against 6.4%, from separate trials with different populations, so the gap is not a measured difference between the two. Every axis below is computed from stored fields rather than written by hand, so the comparison moves when a price does. Both were last checked on 2026-09-22. Neither carries an FTC action, a state action, a BBB F grade or an FDA warning letter. The published formula scores them 6.3 and 5.1 out of 10, arithmetic over the same stored fields rather than an editor's preference.
Head to head
| What decides it | Contrave $99/mo | Ozempic $199–$499/mo |
|---|---|---|
| Entry priceContrave (naltrexone/bupropion) is $100/mo cheaper to start — $99 against $199. | ✓ better here | — |
| Regulatory and complaint riskNeither carries a lawsuit, an FDA warning letter or a supply-risk flag. | tied | tied |
| Average weight loss in trialsContrave (naltrexone/bupropion) reports 5.4% and Ozempic (semaglutide, diabetes label) 6.4%, each from its own trial. They were not compared against each other, and the populations, durations and endpoints differ, so the higher number is not a better result — it is a different study. | not comparable | not comparable |
What the trials, the titration and a year actually say
| Axis | Contrave | Ozempic |
|---|---|---|
| Mean weight loss in the cited trial | 5.4% | 6.4% |
| The trial that figure comes from | COR-I on the label, 56 weeks: 5.4% mean weight loss on 32 mg/360 mg against 1.3% on placebo, intention-to-treat. | No percentage of body weight appears anywhere on the Ozempic label, which has no weight-management section: its three trial sections cover glycemic control, cardiovascular outcomes and kidney outcomes, and all report weight in kilograms. This figure is worked out from the label's own kilograms — 6.4 kg lost from a 100.1 kg mean baseline at week 40 on 2 mg — and is an arithmetic step the label does not take. |
| Maintenance dose | 2 tablets twice a day | 0.5 mg to 2 mg once weekly |
| Earliest week you reach it | week 4 | week 5 |
| Year one at the published price of every step | $1,188 | $4,237 |
Trial percentages are quoted from the label or the named trial beside them. They are not a head-to-head result: different populations, different durations, different endpoints. That is why the comparison above scores this axis as not comparable rather than awarding it to the higher number. The year-one figures walk each titration step at its published price — Contrave has one price at every dose, so there is no step to walk — and count the fills each manufacturer bills a year: 12 for Contrave, 13 for Ozempic. The full arithmetic is published.
Read the price gap carefully: these two are not the same purchase
- These are different molecules — naltrexone and bupropion against semaglutide — so this is a comparison of two treatments, not of two prices for one.
- Against every medication on this site with a verified maintenance price, Contrave (naltrexone/bupropion) is the 2nd cheapest of 9 and Ozempic (semaglutide, diabetes label) the 5th — the cheapest of them all is $75.
Contrave (naltrexone/bupropion)
Pros
- +$99 a month direct from the manufacturer's CurAccess program — below every branded GLP-1 on this site, and tied with the cheapest compounded route.[1]
- +Oral, no injections, no refrigeration, no titration involving needles.[2]
- +Works on appetite and reward pathways rather than gut hormones, so it is an option for people who cannot tolerate GLP-1 side effects.[3]
- +The bupropion component may help if you also want to stop smoking or have low mood.[3]
Cons
- −5.4% mean weight loss at 56 weeks in COR-I, the trial on its label — about a third of semaglutide and a quarter of tirzepatide.[4]
- −Boxed warning for suicidal thoughts and behaviors from the bupropion component.[3]
- −Contraindicated with uncontrolled hypertension, seizure disorders and opioid use — the opioid interaction matters, because naltrexone blocks opioid pain relief in an emergency.[3]
- −Placebo arm lost 1.3%, so the drug-attributable effect is about four points rather than the headline figure.[4]
Ozempic (semaglutide, diabetes label)
Pros
Cons
- −Using it for weight loss without diabetes is off-label. Insurers deny it on that basis and prescribers vary in willingness.[2]
- −Its top dose is 2 mg, against 2.4 mg for standard Wegovy and 7.2 mg for Wegovy HD; the Ozempic label reports no weight-loss percentage to set beside Wegovy's.[5]
- −Prescribing it off-label for weight competes with diabetes patients for supply — a recurring shortage driver.[2]
Sources
- [1] Ozempic self-pay pricing, NovoCare Pharmacy, read 12 September 2026
- [2] GoodRx and Novo Nordisk $199 cash price announcement
- [3] FDA prescribing information for OZEMPIC (semaglutide) injection
- [4] TrumpRx, the federal direct-purchase price site — $199 for the first fills for new self-pay patients, read 6 September 2026
- [5] FDA prescribing information for WEGOVY
Comparisons are computed from the fields on each card, not written by hand or by a model, so they change when the data does. Information only, not medical advice. halfrx may earn a commission from some links, which never changes what a comparison says.
Everything on Contrave
- Contrave price and terms →
- What is Contrave? →
- Contrave cost without insurance →
- Alternatives to Contrave →
- Contrave coupons and savings cards →
- Contrave Home Delivery →
- Contrave side effects →
- Does Contrave make you feel sick? →
- Does Contrave cause constipation? →
- Does Contrave cause diarrhea? →
- Does Contrave make you throw up? →
- Does Contrave make you dizzy? →
- Does Contrave cause headaches? →
- Does Contrave keep you awake? →
- Does Contrave cause dry mouth? →
- Contrave dose schedule →
- How to take Contrave →
- How long Contrave takes to work →
- Which labels record what happens when you stop →
- Hair loss: which of the labels name it →
- Alcohol: what the labels say, and what they do not →
Everything on Ozempic
- Ozempic price and terms →
- What is Ozempic? →
- Ozempic cost without insurance →
- Alternatives to Ozempic →
- Ozempic coupons and savings cards →
- Ozempic and Wegovy cash price via GoodRx →
- Ozempic first-fill price →
- Ozempic Savings Card →
- Ozempic side effects →
- Does Ozempic make you feel sick? →
- Does Ozempic cause constipation? →
- Does Ozempic cause diarrhea? →
- Does Ozempic make you throw up? →
- Does Ozempic cause stomach pain? →
- Ozempic dose schedule →
- Can you stay on a lower dose of Ozempic? →
- How to inject Ozempic →
- How long Ozempic takes to work →
- Which labels record what happens when you stop →
- Hair loss: which of the labels name it →
- Alcohol: what the labels say, and what they do not →
- semaglutide at Calibrate: the price →
- semaglutide at LifeMD: the price →
- semaglutide at NovoCare Pharmacy: the price →
- semaglutide: every product and price →
- Ivim Health: the seller →
- Mochi Health: the seller →
- CVS MinuteClinic: the seller →
- Henry Meds: the seller →
- Noom Med: the seller →
- Shed: the seller →
- Walgreens Weight Management: the seller →
- PlushCare: the seller →
Contrave against Ozempic, answered
- Is Contrave or Ozempic better for weight loss?
- Contrave reports 5.4% average weight loss and Ozempic 6.4%, each from its own trial. The two were not compared against each other, so the higher figure is not a result of a head-to-head and this page does not present it as one. What is comparable is what each costs, below.
- Which is cheaper, Contrave or Ozempic?
- Contrave, at $99 a month against $349 — a difference of $250 a month, or $3,349 over a year counting 12 fills a year for Contrave and 13 for Ozempic. Both figures are the maintenance price rather than an introductory rate. Above the maintenance dose, the optional higher dose costs more: Ozempic at 2 mg is $499 a month.
- Can you switch between Contrave and Ozempic?
- They are different molecules, so this is a change of medication rather than of brand, and the one you move to is started on its own dosing schedule.