| Obesity
Contrave vs Wegovy
Side-by-side clinical, coverage, and cost comparison for obesity.Deep comparison between: Contrave vs Wegovy with Prescriber.AI
AI compares prescribing info and payer-specific access barriers across 1,200+ formularies. Here's a preview of what prescribers are already asking.Safety signalsWegovy has a higher rate of injection site reactions vs Contrave based on FDA-approved prescribing information
Coverage gaps3 major payers require step therapy for Wegovy but not Contrave, including UnitedHealthcare
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Category
Contrave
Wegovy
At A Glance
Oral
Twice daily
Opioid antagonist / NDRI combination
SC injection
Once weekly
GLP-1 receptor agonist
Indications
- Obesity
- Obesity
- Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis
Dosing
Obesity Dose escalation over 4 weeks to maintenance of 32 mg naltrexone/360 mg bupropion (two 8 mg/90 mg tablets twice daily) taken orally in morning and evening; not taken with high-fat meal; evaluate response after 12 weeks and discontinue if <5% weight loss.
Obesity Adults: maintenance 2.4 mg (or 1.7 mg) SC injection once weekly after escalation from 0.25 mg, or 25 mg tablet orally once daily after escalation from 1.5 mg; pediatric patients aged 12 years and older: 2.4 mg (or 1.7 mg) SC injection once weekly.
Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis 2.4 mg SC injection once weekly (maintenance) after escalation from 0.25 mg; may reduce to 1.7 mg once weekly if 2.4 mg not tolerated.
Cardiovascular risk reduction Maintenance 2.4 mg (or 1.7 mg) SC injection once weekly after escalation from 0.25 mg, or 25 mg tablet orally once daily after escalation from 1.5 mg.
Contraindications
- Uncontrolled hypertension
- Seizure disorder or history of seizures
- Concomitant use of other bupropion-containing products
- Bulimia or anorexia nervosa
- Chronic opioid or opiate agonist (e.g., methadone) or partial agonist (e.g., buprenorphine) use, or acute opiate withdrawal
- Abrupt discontinuation of alcohol, benzodiazepines, barbiturates, or antiepileptic drugs
- Concomitant use of MAOIs, including reversible MAOIs such as linezolid or intravenous methylene blue
- Known allergy to bupropion, naltrexone, or any other component of CONTRAVE
- Personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2)
- Prior serious hypersensitivity reaction to semaglutide or to any excipient in WEGOVY injection or WEGOVY tablet
Adverse Reactions
Most common (>=2%) Nausea, constipation, headache, vomiting, dizziness, insomnia, dry mouth, diarrhea, anxiety, hot flush, fatigue, tremor, upper abdominal pain, viral gastroenteritis, influenza, tinnitus, urinary tract infection, hypertension, abdominal pain, hyperhidrosis, irritability, blood pressure increased, dysgeusia, rash, muscle strain, palpitations
Serious Suicidal behavior and ideation, neuropsychiatric adverse events, seizures, increase in blood pressure and heart rate, allergic reactions, angle-closure glaucoma
Postmarketing Loss of consciousness, malaise, Brugada pattern/syndrome, drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS), acute generalized exanthematous pustulosis (AGEP), aseptic meningitis
Most common (>=2%) Nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, abdominal pain, headache, fatigue, dyspepsia, dizziness, abdominal distension, eructation, flatulence, gastroenteritis, gastroesophageal reflux disease, gastritis, hair loss, dysesthesia
Serious Risk of thyroid C-cell tumors, acute pancreatitis, acute gallbladder disease, hypoglycemia, acute kidney injury, severe gastrointestinal reactions, hypersensitivity reactions including anaphylaxis and angioedema, diabetic retinopathy complications, heart rate increase, pulmonary aspiration during anesthesia
Postmarketing Acute pancreatitis and necrotizing pancreatitis, ileus, intestinal obstruction, severe constipation including fecal impaction, anaphylaxis, angioedema, rash, urticaria, pulmonary aspiration, acute kidney injury
Pharmacology
CONTRAVE combines naltrexone, an opioid antagonist, and bupropion, a relatively weak inhibitor of the neuronal reuptake of dopamine and norepinephrine; together they act on the hypothalamus (appetite regulatory center) and the mesolimbic dopamine circuit (reward system) to reduce food intake and body weight, though the exact neurochemical effects are not fully understood.
Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist with 94% sequence homology to human GLP-1 that selectively binds and activates the GLP-1 receptor, regulating appetite and caloric intake, stimulating glucose-dependent insulin secretion, reducing glucagon secretion, and delaying gastric emptying.
Enter your patient's insuranceCheck specific coverage details for your patient.
Most Common Insurance
Anthem BCBS
Contrave
- Covered on 5 commercial plans
- PA (9/12) · Step Therapy (0/12) · Qty limit (9/12)
Wegovy
- Covered on 5 commercial plans
- PA (10/12) · Step Therapy (0/12) · Qty limit (9/12)
UnitedHealthcare
Contrave
- Covered on 4 commercial plans
- PA (4/8) · Step Therapy (0/8) · Qty limit (0/8)
Wegovy
- Covered on 4 commercial plans
- PA (5/8) · Step Therapy (0/8) · Qty limit (1/8)
Humana
Contrave
- Covered on 0 commercial plans
- PA (0/3) · Step Therapy (0/3) · Qty limit (0/3)
Wegovy
- Covered on 0 commercial plans
- PA (3/3) · Step Therapy (0/3) · Qty limit (1/3)
Coverage data sourced from MMIT. Updated monthly.
Savings
No savings programs available for Contrave.
$349/momo
Wegovy Self-Pay Program - InjectableCommercial or private insurance
Medicare, Medicaid, VA, TRICARE
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Clinical data sourced from FDA-approved labeling. Coverage data via MMIT. Updated monthly.