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What will a month cost?
Maker's price
$349–$499/box[5]
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7 min
Published
September 2026

Trulicity vs Ozempic: Self-Pay Price by Dose, and What SUSTAIN 7 Found

Trulicity and Ozempic compared for a buyer: each maker's self-pay month by dose step, what each label covers, the head-to-head SUSTAIN 7 results at the lower doses, both savings cards, TRICARE's copay note and where each stands in Medicare price negotiation.

ByDerek MossPricing analystPublished

Trulicity starts at $389 a month self-pay, at every one of its four doses. That figure is Lilly’s own[3]. Ozempic costs $349 a month up to 1 mg[5]. At those doses Trulicity’s figure is $40 more. At Ozempic’s 2 mg dose, it is $110 less[5].

Two weekly GLP-1 drugs

Both are once-weekly injections for blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes[1][2]. Trulicity’s label also covers children 10 and older[1]. Each adds a heart indication[1][2]. Trulicity’s includes adults with multiple cardiovascular risk factors, not only established disease[1]. Ozempic’s adds a kidney indication[2].

Neither is labeled for weight loss. Semaglutide for weight is sold as Wegovy, a separate product with its own price.

Price by dose step

Self-pay month from each maker, read September 2026
Dose stepTrulicityOzempic
Start0.75 mg: from $3890.25 mg: $199 (new patients, first 2 fills)
Second step1.5 mg: from $3890.5 mg: $199 intro, then $349
Third step3 mg: from $3891 mg: $349
Top dose4.5 mg: from $3892 mg: $499
Self-pay month from each maker, read September 2026. LillyDirect prints "starting at" beside every Trulicity dose and does not define its month; Novo Nordisk defines an Ozempic month as one box of one pen.

Trulicity starts at 0.75 mg, moves to 1.5 mg, then rises in 1.5 mg steps to 4.5 mg[1]. Each step waits at least four weeks[1]. Ozempic runs 0.25, 0.5, 1 and 2 mg, with at least four weeks per step[2].

Lilly’s card terms define a Trulicity month as 28 days and up to 4 pens[4]. Novo defines an Ozempic month as one box of one pen[5]. The full Trulicity picture is in Trulicity price; Ozempic’s is in Ozempic cost.

What SUSTAIN 7 found

SUSTAIN 7 randomly assigned 1,201 adults with type 2 diabetes on metformin[6]. It paired semaglutide 0.5 mg with dulaglutide 0.75 mg, and 1 mg with 1.5 mg[6]. It ran 40 weeks, open-label, funded by Novo Nordisk[6].

HbA1c fell 1.5 points on semaglutide 0.5 mg, against 1.1 on dulaglutide 0.75 mg[6]. At the higher pair it fell 1.8 against 1.4[6]. Weight fell 4.6 kg against 2.3 kg, then 6.5 kg against 3.0 kg[6]. Gastrointestinal events hit 43% and 44% on semaglutide, 33% and 48% on dulaglutide[6].

With insurance

Commercially insured patients with coverage pay as little as $25 with the Trulicity card[4]. It caps savings at $150 per 1-month fill and $1,950 a year[4]. It ends December 31, 2026[4]. Ozempic’s card also floors at $25[5]. It caps savings at $100 a month for up to 48 months[5].

Military families see a difference too. TRICARE covers both for type 2 diabetes with prior authorization[9]. It says Trulicity has the lower copayment[9]. The TRICARE rules are in does TRICARE cover Wegovy.

Medicare negotiation

CMS negotiated a Medicare price for Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy together[8]. It takes effect January 1, 2027[8]. On January 27, 2026, CMS named Trulicity among 15 drugs for its third cycle[7]. That cycle’s prices apply from 2028[7]. In the 12 months to October 2025, 617,000 Medicare enrollees used Trulicity[7].

A negotiated price is not a copay. Your plan’s formulary and tier still set what you pay at the counter. Ozempic’s Medicare rules are in does Medicare cover Ozempic.

The newer rivals

Lilly’s newer diabetes drug is set against both in Mounjaro vs Ozempic and Trulicity vs Mounjaro. Compounded semaglutide is a different product, priced on the semaglutide price board.

FAQ

4 questions

Is Trulicity cheaper than Ozempic?

It depends on the dose. Self-pay, Lilly lists Trulicity starting at $389 a month at every dose. Novo Nordisk charges $349 for Ozempic up to 1 mg and $499 at 2 mg, with $199 for a new patient's first two fills.

Which works better, Trulicity or Ozempic?

In SUSTAIN 7, a 40-week open-label trial funded by Novo Nordisk, semaglutide 0.5 mg and 1 mg lowered HbA1c and weight more than dulaglutide 0.75 mg and 1.5 mg. The trial did not include Trulicity's 3 mg and 4.5 mg doses or Ozempic's 2 mg dose.

Can you switch from Trulicity to Ozempic?

Only a prescriber can decide that. For cost, the switch changes the price ladder: Trulicity's self-pay figure is the same at every dose, while Ozempic's rises at 2 mg, and the two savings cards carry different caps.

Is Trulicity part of Medicare drug price negotiation?

Yes. CMS selected Trulicity on January 27, 2026 for the third negotiation cycle, whose prices apply from 2028. Ozempic was negotiated in the previous cycle, with a price effective January 1, 2027.

Sources

9 cited
  1. [1]Eli Lilly and Company (2026). TRULICITY (dulaglutide) injection, for subcutaneous use: Prescribing Information DailyMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Source
  2. [2]Novo Nordisk (2026). OZEMPIC (semaglutide) injection, for subcutaneous use: Prescribing Information DailyMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine. Source
  3. [3]Eli Lilly and Company (2026). Trulicity (dulaglutide) self-pay price LillyDirect. lilly.com/lillydirect/trulicity
  4. [4]Eli Lilly and Company (2026). Trulicity savings and resources, including the Trulicity Savings Card terms trulicity.lilly.com. trulicity.lilly.com/savings-resources
  5. [5]Novo Nordisk (2026). Save on Ozempic: savings and self-pay offers for the Ozempic pen and pill ozempic.com. Source
  6. [6]Pratley RE, Aroda VR, Lingvay I, et al. (2018). Semaglutide versus dulaglutide once weekly in patients with type 2 diabetes (SUSTAIN 7): a randomised, open-label, phase 3b trial The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology. PMID 29397376
  7. [7]Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (2026). Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program: Selected Drug List and Drugs Selected for Renegotiation for Initial Price Applicability Year 2028 CMS. Source
  8. [8]Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (2026). Selected Drugs and Negotiated Prices CMS. Source
  9. [9]TRICARE (Defense Health Agency) (2026). Does TRICARE cover Wegovy, Ozempic, and Mounjaro? TRICARE. Source