Phentermine (generic) vs Wegovy (semaglutide injection)
Wegovy (semaglutide injection) is the better choice of the two (halfrx score 7.4 against 3.1).
Computed from the stored fields, so it moves when a price does. Nothing here is written by hand or by a model.
Wegovy (semaglutide injection) or Phentermine (generic): which publishes a price?
Only one of these two publishes a verified all-in price, which settles the comparison before any other axis is reached: Wegovy (semaglutide injection) at $199–$399, and no figure at all for the other. Wegovy (semaglutide injection) is the better choice of the two (halfrx score 7.4 against 3.1). Every axis below is computed from stored fields rather than written by hand, so the comparison moves when a price does. Neither carries an FTC action, a state action, a BBB F grade or an FDA warning letter. One is generic and the other brand, which is the difference between an FDA-approved product and a copy made under the compounding exemption. The published formula scores them 3.1 and 7.4 out of 10, arithmetic over the same stored fields rather than an editor's preference.
Head to head
| What decides it | Phentermine price unverified | Wegovy $199–$399/mo |
|---|---|---|
| Entry priceNot comparable — Phentermine (generic) publishes no verified all-in price. | not comparable | not comparable |
| Regulatory and complaint riskNeither carries a lawsuit, state action or FDA-approval flag. | level | level |
| Brand vs compoundedWegovy (semaglutide injection) supplies FDA-approved branded medication; Phentermine (generic) supplies compounded, which the FDA does not review for safety, efficacy or quality and which can stop shipping if its pharmacy is enjoined. | level | level |
Read the price gap carefully: these two are not the same purchase
- These are different molecules — Phentermine (generic) on phentermine, Wegovy (semaglutide injection) on semaglutide — so this is a comparison of two treatments, not of two prices for one.
Phentermine (generic)
Pros
- +The cheapest drug in the category by two orders of magnitude: $0.068 a tablet at pharmacy acquisition cost against $263 for one Zepbound pen.[2]
- +Covered by more Medicaid programmes than any GLP-1 — seven states cover an older weight-loss agent while covering no GLP-1 at all.[3]
- +One tablet each morning, no injection, no titration schedule beyond a possible half dose.[1]
Cons
- −Approved for a few weeks only. Every monthly subscription selling it as ongoing therapy is using it off the label's own duration.[1]
- −Schedule IV controlled substance, chemically related to the amphetamines, with the dependence warnings that follow from that.[1]
- −Stopping after prolonged high dosing brings extreme fatigue and depression, per the label — which is a hard exit from a subscription that sold it as maintenance.[1]
- −No cardiovascular outcome data of the kind the GLP-1s now carry, and contraindicated where blood pressure is uncontrolled.[1]
Wegovy (semaglutide injection)
Pros
- +One flat $349 across every standard dose from 0.25 to 2.4 mg — no dose-escalation penalty and no refill deadline attached, unlike Lilly's conditional pricing on Zepbound.[1]
- +New patients pay $199 for the first two fills through 31 December 2026, which covers most of the titration ramp.[2]
- +Approved for cardiovascular risk reduction, not only weight — the strongest insurance-coverage argument in the category.[1]
- +The longest real-world safety record of any modern weight-loss GLP-1.[1]
- +Commercially insured, the savings card can bring it to $25 a month, capped at $100 of savings per month.[2]
Cons
- −$1,349 monthly list price without insurance or the self-pay programme.[1]
- −About 14.9% mean loss in STEP 1 against roughly 20.9% for tirzepatide — meaningfully weaker.[3]
- −A month is one box of four weekly pens, so a year takes 13 boxes, not 12: $4,537 at $349 rather than the $4,188 that 'per month' implies.[1]
- −The new high dose, Wegovy HD 7.2 mg, sits outside the flat price at $399.[1]
- −Weekly injection, refrigerated storage, GI side effects during titration, and weight regain after stopping is the documented norm.[3]
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.