Mama-Match
Sesame review
Brand only: Wegovy pill from about $149/mo, Zepbound about $349–$499/mo, with a real video visit — pricier and with more moving parts than a flat compounded plan, but transparent.
- HSA / FSA eligible
- Independently scored
- No insurance needed
Referral link, separate from the score
Every medical claim is cited to its primary source — the clinical trial or the FDA label — so you can open it and check it yourself. No one on this team is your healthcare professional. What follows is friendly information, never medical advice.
Sesame at a glance
- Semaglutide
- Brand only (Wegovy pill from ~$149/mo)
- Tirzepatide
- Brand only (Zepbound ~$349–$499/mo)
- Coverage
- All 50 states
- Brand-name
- Yes
How we scored Sesame
Each factor is judged from Sesame's actual pricing, disclosures and support, then combined into the Mama-Match Score of 83/100 using the same weighted six-factor framework we apply to every provider — never influenced by whether a provider pays us.
A reasonable intake, though a little more standard than hand-held.
Fair pricing once you get past any teaser rate or plan structure.
Reasonable clinician involvement, though some program details are not public.
Available in all 50 states, so where you live is not a barrier.
Standard support — enough to keep your rhythm, but not personalized.
Cancellation is manageable but not frictionless.
How we verified this review
- Last reviewed
- August 2026
- Confidence
- Medium
- Primary source
- sesamecare.com/hub/glp-1-weight-loss
Brand only: Sesame left compounded GLP-1s behind in 2025, so today it sells the Wegovy pill from around $149 and Zepbound between $349 and $499. The subscription from $59 a month is billed separately from the medication, so that's two lines rather than one.
What to expect when you sign up
We walked Sesame's public signup (July 2026) — a first-hand look at the process. We did not create accounts, enter medical information, or complete checkout, so this is what any visitor sees, not a patient's outcome.
- 1Browse the 'Success by Sesame' weight-loss program — the platform subscription is listed from $59/mo on an annual plan (around $99/mo on a shorter 28-day cycle)
- 2The subscription covers video visits, labs, and messaging; the medication itself is billed separately from the membership
- 3You book a licensed clinician for a real video visit, rather than just an asynchronous questionnaire
- 4Brand-name options (Wegovy pill, Ozempic, Zepbound, Mounjaro, Rybelsus) are shown with cash-pay estimates before you commit
What we noticed
- Sesame stopped selling compounded semaglutide in 2025 after the FDA declared the shortage over — it's now a brand-focused marketplace, so the old ~$99 compounded price is gone
- The subscription and the medication are two separate charges — read both before you budget
- A real video visit is included, more hands-on than a purely asynchronous signup
Pricing
Prices re-verified
| Medication | Monthly | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| Brand semaglutide | $149 | Wegovy pill (oral semaglutide), lower dosesListed as 'from as little as $149/mo' for lower doses; the medication is billed separately from the Sesame subscription. |
| Brand semaglutide | $349 | Ozempic (brand-name, est. cash pay)Around $349/mo at Costco Pharmacy per Sesame's own hub; paying cash for brand-name runs higher. |
| Brand tirzepatide | $349 | Zepbound vials$349–$499/mo depending on dose, per Sesame's weight-loss hub. |
Swipe the table to see plan details →
HSA/FSA is usually accepted for GLP-1 telehealth — check your plan. Prices reflect what Sesame disclosed publicly at our last review and change often; confirm the current number on Sesame's site.
What we like
- A real video visit with a licensed clinician, plus labs and messaging in the subscription
- FDA-approved brand-name options (Wegovy pill, Ozempic, Zepbound) with the manufacturer's own label
- Transparent cash-pay marketplace pricing — no insurance needed, HSA/FSA commonly accepted
- Nationwide, from an established and well-known marketplace
The caveats
- No longer offers low-cost compounded GLP-1s — it exited that market in 2025
- The subscription and the medication are billed separately, so the true monthly cost is higher than the headline
- Brand-name medication runs $149–$499/mo, well above the flat compounded programs
- No specific postpartum, breastfeeding, or PCOS focus
First, a correction you'll be glad you read
If you've seen Sesame reviewed as the place to get $99 compounded semaglutide, that information is out of date, and it's the most important thing to fix before you sign up anywhere. After the FDA declared the semaglutide shortage over in early 2025, compounding pharmacies had to stop making compounded semaglutide, and Sesame stepped out of that market. Today it's a brand-name marketplace: the Wegovy pill starts around $149/mo at the lowest doses, and options like Ozempic and Zepbound cost more. So the rock-bottom compounded price that made Sesame famous simply isn't there anymore.
What Sesame actually is now — and why it can still be a good fit
Don't take that as a knock. Sesame is a well-established, transparent cash-pay marketplace, and what it offers now has real appeal for someone starting out: an actual video visit with a licensed clinician, labs and messaging included in a 'Success by Sesame' subscription (from $59/mo on an annual plan), plus FDA-approved brand-name medication that comes with the manufacturer's own label. That's more hand-holding than a fill-out-a-form-and-wait service, and brand-name medication is the cleanest thing to hand your OB-GYN when you're thinking about timing.
The real numbers by medication
It's worth seeing the full figures before picking a medication. The Wegovy pill starts around $149/mo at the lowest doses. Ozempic runs about $349/mo at Costco Pharmacy, per Sesame's own hub. Zepbound vials run $349 to $499/mo depending on dose. And if the annual $59/mo subscription cycle doesn't work for you, there's a shorter 28-day version around $99/mo. None of these figures include the medication itself — they're the subscription and clinician access alone.
The math to do before you commit
The one place to be careful is the bill. Sesame's subscription and the medication are two separate charges — the membership buys you the visits and the follow-up, and the brand-name drug is billed on top of it. So your real monthly cost is the subscription plus the medication, not the tidy $59 headline. Brand-name GLP-1s, even at Sesame's negotiated cash prices, land well above a flat-price compounded plan. Add up both lines honestly, and check whether your HSA/FSA card can cover them.
The bottom line
Sesame is a reliable, clinician-led way to get brand-name GLP-1 medication without insurance — just go in knowing it's no longer the cheap compounded option it once was. If a real video visit and brand-name medication matter to you more than the lowest price, it's a solid choice. If you want one predictable flat price and the gentlest, most affordable first step, our #1 pick, CoreAge Rx, is the calmest place to land — and our ranking of the best options for moms puts the whole picture side by side.
The bottom line
Best for: Moms who'd rather have FDA-approved brand-name medication and a real clinical visit than the lowest compounded price, and who don't mind separate subscription and medication bills.
Other gentle first steps
Providers we'd send a friend to, with the ones we work with listed first — CoreAge Rx leads our ranking on the score. Some of these links earn MamaGLP a referral commission.
- Meet CoreAge RxCoreAge RxOur #1 pick
$99/mo semaglutide, $149/mo tirzepatide, one flat price with both medications in a single account — and an intake that walks you through it instead of cornering you with a quiz.
- Meet Direct Meds
$249/mo semaglutide, $299/mo tirzepatide, injection or sublingual — with a 2025 FDA warning letter and a run of BBB complaints about surprise 3-month charges.
- Meet Breeze Meds
From $199/mo semaglutide, subscription-free in all 50 states, with named clinicians and named pharmacies — tirzepatide is priced only after intake, and the review footprint is thin.
Keep comparing Sesame
Head-to-heads and alternatives
Ranked boards
- Best GLP-1 for moms — a gentle first step
- Best GLP-1 for women — PCOS, cycles, perimenopause
- Best GLP-1 for first-timers (easiest to start)
- Most affordable GLP-1 with honest, clear pricing
- Best semaglutide for mothers — price and practicality
- Best semaglutide for women — compounded vs brand
- Best semaglutide for young moms — postpartum and budget
- Best tirzepatide for mothers — is it worth the extra
- Best tirzepatide for women — PCOS and insulin resistance
- Best GLP-1 with bilingual / Spanish-language support
Sesame, answered
- Does Sesame still sell compounded semaglutide at $99?
- No — and this is an important correction if you've seen that number floating around. After the FDA declared the semaglutide shortage over in early 2025, compounding pharmacies had to stop making compounded semaglutide, and Sesame exited that market. Today it's a brand-focused marketplace: the Wegovy pill starts around $149/mo at the lowest doses, Zepbound runs $349–$499, and there's a separate 'Success by Sesame' subscription (from $59/mo on an annual plan) for the visits and follow-up.
- Is Sesame a good, calm first step for a mom?
- It can be a solid, transparent option — you get a real video visit with a licensed clinician, labs and messaging included in the subscription, and brand-name medication with the manufacturer's own label. The trade-off versus a flat-price compounded program is cost and moving parts: the membership and the medication are billed separately, so add both up honestly. For the simplest single flat number, our #1 pick is friendlier to the budget.
- Does Sesame need my insurance?
- No — Sesame is a cash-pay marketplace built for people paying out of pocket, which is part of the appeal. Just remember that the medication cost is on top of the subscription, and brand-name GLP-1s (even at Sesame's negotiated cash prices) land well above the compounded options. HSA/FSA cards are usually accepted; check your plan.
- Can I use Sesame while breastfeeding?
- The honest answer is the same one we give for every provider here: no GLP-1, brand-name or compounded, is proven safe during pregnancy or breastfeeding, and the labels advise against use. Sesame's brand-name medications carry the manufacturer's own breastfeeding label, which is at least cleaner to hand to your OB-GYN — but the timing decision is yours and your own clinician's, ideally after weaning.
Prices, states and verification reflect what Sesame disclosed publicly at our last review; the Mama-Match Score is our editorial judgment under the published methodology. This is gentle background reading, not medical advice — GLP-1 medications are not established as safe in pregnancy or breastfeeding. See our medical disclaimer and how we're funded.