Still life of Wegovy with a weight scale.

(Michael Siluk/Getty Images)

Wegovy goes on sale after off-ramp for copycats ends

Novo is offering a one-month sale on Wegovy, and its partner telehealth platforms are offering creative ways to squeeze in a margin for themselves.

J. Edward Moreno

5/22/25 3:13PM

Wegovy, the blockbuster weight-loss jab made by Novo Nordisk, is on sale.

As of Thursday, compounding pharmacies can no longer sell exact copies of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy and its better-known sister diabetes drug, Ozempic. As one affordable option for the popular drug is curtailed, Novo has responded by slashing the price — temporarily.

Novo announced Thursday morning that it would offer the first month Wegovy at $199 for cash-paying patients, available until June 30. After that, patients will pay the $499 a month Novo normally charges cash-paying patients. (The drug costs upward of $1000 a month for those with insurance.)

Novo had previously announced partnerships with three telehealth companies — Ro, LifeMD, and Hims & Hers — to make Wegovy available on their platforms. The one-month discounted Wegovy is available on each platform as well, and each company found a creative way to squeeze in a margin.

Patients can get their first month of Wegovy for $199 at Ro, plus the cost of a monthly membership, which is $45 for the first month and $145 after that. LifeMD will charge $299 the first month and $599 thereafter, essentially adding $100 to the bill each month for access to its platform. Hims said it would charge $3,394 up front for a six-month supply, which comes out to $549 a month.

The push for Wegovy comes as sales for its competitor, Eli Lilly’s Zepbound, are catching up to it. The company recently ousted its CEO after slowing sales of its GLP-1 drugs dragged down its stock price.

Novo has said compounding pharmacies have weighed on its sales. In an announcement on Thursday, the firm threatened legal action against compounding pharmacies that continue to mass-produce semaglutide.

As of Thursday morning, Hims still offered personalized compounded semaglutide to those that fill out its onboarding questionnaire. The company has previously said that high rates of side effects create a need to make personalized versions of the drug, which are also a higher-margin business than flipping Novo’s cash price Wegovy.

Max Knoblauch6/15/26

Electronic Arts launches a platform to put more ads in its games

Video game publishing giant EA launched a new platform on Monday designed to make the process of selling immersive ad space in its popular games easier.

The company says the platform, called EA Advertising, allows brands to “integrate directly into gameplay through dynamic, real-time placements, from stadium signage to custom in-game content.”

More so than other studios, EA has incorporated advertising into its most popular titles. As Kotaku points out, the company’s ad efforts stretch as far back as 2006. Several of its sports franchises already feature partnerships with brands like Visa, Lowe’s, Red Bull, and PepsiCo.

In-game advertising hasn’t exactly been embraced by fans, but industry experts expect it to ramp up as companies seek more revenue to offset higher games budgets and surging memory costs. EA rival Take-Two has taken a different approach, with CEO Strauss Zelnick recently saying the company was “not at risk of doing brand partnerships” in the forthcoming “Grand Theft Auto VI,” and that ads in full-price games seems “unfair.”

The $55 billion deal to take EA private, led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, is set to close at the end of this month. Being the largest leveraged buyout in history, EA will likely look for more ways to boost revenue to cover interest payments.

Electronic Arts Makes Push for Ad Dollars Tied to Sports

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JM Smucker says it sold $1 billion worth of Uncrustables in FY2026

After years of booming sandwich sales, JM Smucker has finally earned a billion-dollar crust.

On Tuesday, the company reported results for fiscal year 2026, highlighting better-than-expected profits driven by higher prices for coffee and sweet baked goods. However, at another point on the earnings call, CEO Mark Smucker pointed to one particularly jammy figure: in line with previous forecasts, the company sold $1 billion worth of its (almost always) crustless sandwiches, Uncrustables, in the last year alone.

Max Knoblauch6/8/26

Paramount reportedly offers concessions to resolve multistate antitrust investigation

Paramount has reportedly offered up some concessions in an effort to prevent an antitrust lawsuit by California and about 10 other states, according to Bloomberg reporting on Monday.

Reuters first reported on the potential suit from a group of unnamed states last week, which could throw a wrench in Paramount’s plans to buy rival Warner Bros. Discovery in a Hollywood megamerger.

The list of concessions is unknown, though Bloomberg previously reported that Paramount is open to divesting some of its kids TV assets to appease EU regulators.

Late last month, reports said US regulators appeared likely to approve the $110 billion merger, following a meeting between Paramount CEO David Ellison and DOJ antitrust staffers.

Paramount Offers Concessions to Head Off State Antitrust Lawsuit

The list of concessions is unknown, though Bloomberg previously reported that Paramount is open to divesting some of its kids TV assets to appease EU regulators.

Late last month, reports said US regulators appeared likely to approve the $110 billion merger, following a meeting between Paramount CEO David Ellison and DOJ antitrust staffers.

$98B ⛽

Max Knoblauch6/8/26

The IATA released its latest financial outlook for the airline industry over the weekend, forecasting a $98 billion jump in the sector’s collective fuel bill. The world’s largest trade group representing airlines expects the oil spike to halve profits by 49% from last year to $23 billion.

The group also expects profit margins to halve year over year, falling from 2025’s 4.2% to 2%. Still, revenue is expected to climb to $1.17 trillion from $1.07 trillion.

A surge in the cost of jet fuel has rocked US and global airlines this year, leading Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, and others to raise fares and ancillary charges like bag fees. Low-cost carriers, which operate on smaller margins, have been squeezed the hardest, resulting in Spirit’s shutdown.

“It’s a tough year for all airlines, especially those whose balance sheets had not yet recovered from COVID. And, of course, for those operating in the Gulf,” said IATA Director General Willie Walsh, who added that demand is holding up and about half of passengers expect to spend more on travel this year. “That bodes well for a strong northern summer peak season. The big unknown is how long travelers and shippers can tolerate the higher costs of connectivity.”

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