FAQs
How is Ro responding to medication shortages?
Due to significant demand, Novo Nordisk — the manufacturer of Wegovy, Ozempic, and Saxenda — expects supply shortages of some of these medications. Novo Nordisk is anticipating that demand for Wegovy will continue to outpace supply. Patients may have difficulty filling Wegovy prescriptions at the lower doses of 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, and 1 mg and Saxenda prescriptions through the remainder of 2023 and potentially beyond. We’ve seen that around half of patients are still unable to get access to the impacted Wegovy doses or Saxenda doses after 1 month of waiting.
Ro and Ro-affiliated providers are taking additional steps to support new and existing patients on their weight loss journeys. If you’re prescribed a GLP-1 medication and there’s more than a 30-day delay from the time your prescription is sent to the pharmacy to when it is filled, we’ll issue a credit to your account so that your next month of the Body Program is free. Read eligibility requirements here.
For patients who are prescribed Wegovy or Saxenda and are on their pharmacy’s waitlist, our concierge is contacting your pharmacy periodically to check on the status of your prescription.
A provider may also make adjustments to a treatment plan for a patient on Wegovy or Saxenda if they determine it’s clinically appropriate. These adjustments may include prescribing alternate GLP-1 medications (if appropriate), working with you to create a personalized treatment plan, or recommending adjustments to diet, lifestyle, and current fitness activities.
For patients just getting started, the first steps in the Body Program are unaffected by the supply shortages — including taking a metabolic lab test and connecting with a provider to review their health history. If a provider ultimately determines Wegovy or Saxenda is a good fit, the sooner a patient joins the program, the sooner our team can get to work trying to find medication in stock at a pharmacy nearby.
What foods should be avoided while taking Saxenda?
There are no specific foods you must avoid while taking Saxenda and there are no known food-medication interactions you have to be aware of. That said, some foods and drinks can cause nausea and fullness, which are symptoms similar to Saxenda’s side effects. These same foods—highly processed, sugary and fried foods—may also make weight loss more challenging.
Generally, you’ll want to limit your intake of high-calorie foods like candy, sugary drinks, and fried foods. It also makes sense to eat slowly and eat smaller meals.
What are the side effects of Saxenda?
The most common side effects of Saxenda often improve within the first few weeks of treatment. Side effects tend to occur when you start the medication or increase the dose. Over time, these side effects should subside once a steady dose is reached.
Some of the most common side effects include:
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Nausea
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Diarrhea
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Constipation
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Vomiting
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Injection site reactions
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Headache
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Low blood sugar
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Stomach discomfort
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Fatigue
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Dizziness
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Stomach pain
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Increased in lipase
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Upper abdominal pain
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Fever
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Inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract
More severe side effects are rarer but possible. Serious side effects include:
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Thyroid cancer—The FDA has issued its most serious warning (called a Boxed Warning) that GLP-1 medications like Saxenda may be associated with a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). So far, this side effect has primarily been seen in laboratory studies using rodents. However, during the post-marketing period, cases of MTC in people treated with liraglutide (the active ingredient in Saxenda and Victoza) have been reported; this data is insufficient to determine the risk in people.
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Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)
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Severe hypoglycemia (very low blood sugar)
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Kidney and gallbladder problems
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Fast heartbeat
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Serious allergic reactions
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Suicidal thoughts or behaviors
For complete safety information, read more here.
How do you store Saxenda?
Unused Saxenda injection pens have to be stored in the refrigerator between 36°F and 46°F. After first use, you can either put it back in the refrigerator or keep it at room temperature between 59°F and 86°F. It is important to not freeze Saxenda, because you can’t use it anymore and have to throw away the pen once it has been frozen.
How much does Saxenda cost?
The price of Saxenda may vary depending on your insurance plan, and our insurance concierge partner is here to provide assistance.
Ro does not accept insurance for the Body Program, which is cash pay only. Our partner will work directly with your insurance provider to help with the process of determining coverage for your GLP-1 medication, which is paid for separately from the Body Program. These insurance concierge services for the cost of medication are provided through the Body Program.
Unfortunately, you cannot join the Body Program if you have government insurance (regardless of whether you have additional commercial/employer insurance or are willing to pay cash out of pocket). This includes those with any form of government healthcare coverage (including programs such as Medicare, Medicare Supplement Plans, Medicaid, or TRICARE), whether it’s your primary or secondary coverage. Certain federal government insurance programs impose mandatory billing requirements on providers when they treat beneficiaries. Because of this, Ro-affiliated providers are unable to work with beneficiaries of these programs.
Federal employees who receive their health insurance through the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHB) may participate in the Body Program.
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