70% of Noom members receiving microdoses of GLP-1 with lifestyle support report no side effects, while experiencing significant weight loss and overall health gains
The program addresses all three major barriers to bending the obesity curve in the US: excessive US prices of medication, medication side effects, and sustainable lifestyle change
NEW YORK, Aug. 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Noom, the leading digital healthcare company committed to chronic disease prevention and empowering people to live better longer, today announced the launch of the Noom Microdose GLP-1Rx Program, a groundbreaking offering designed to unlock weight loss and long-term health benefits while minimizing side effects through personalized microdoses of GLP-1 medication, when clinically appropriate. The Microdose GLP-1Rx Program is priced at $119 to start, followed by $199 per month, which includes medication, if prescribed, and Noom’s powerful GLP-1 Companion, providing clinical care, coaching, and a personalized healthy habits program.
The US obesity rate, after decades of unstoppable growth, has at last started to plateau, but at a level that continues to lead the developed world. The US rate of obesity stands at more than 40% versus the UK at 26%, Germany at 23%, and France at 10%. Meanwhile, GLP-1 medications cost as much as 5x more in the US than in these same countries. Three core barriers prevent broader and faster progress: medication cost, medication side effects, and the lack of sustainable behavior change. Noom’s Microdose GLP-1Rx Program directly addresses each of these three barriers, to help meaningfully bend the obesity curve.
Only affordable GLP-1s and Behavior Change will bend this curve.
Noom’s physician-designed program employs a “low and slow” titration approach with microdoses that are a fraction of conventional maintenance doses. Noom’s data has shown that members on microdoses are far less likely to have destabilizing side effects. In fact, 70% of Noom members receiving microdoses report no side effects at all. At the same time, members achieve up to 11 pounds of weight loss in 30 days and up to 17 pounds in 60 days at microdose dosages. Meanwhile, studies indicate the vast majority–more than 70%–of patients on standardized protocols experience side effects.
“In the Microdose GLP-1Rx Program, we set out to virtually eliminate side effects for the vast majority, so that more than 70% of people would encounter no side effects. In both my clinical experience and evidence in published studies, it is clear that many people discontinue GLP-1 treatment because of side effects,” said Dr. Jeffrey Egler, Chief Medical Officer at Noom. “The Noom Microdose GLP-1Rx Program was designed to address this issue by introducing GLP-1s gradually and sustaining them at a microdose level, as part of a larger holistic behavior change platform, which we call our GLP-1 Companion. This approach helps more patients stay on the treatment, experience the full health benefits of these medications, and make real progress in reducing obesity and overweight rates in the United States.”
Noom’s Microdose GLP-1Rx Program is based on scientific principles:
- Self-efficacy boosts success with healthy habits. GLP-1 medication makes it easier to adopt healthy habits, while healthy habits improve health outcomes. Members who engage with Noom’s GLP-1 Companion achieve 10% weight loss by month 4 at twice the rate compared to those who are not engaged. Noom members on GLP-1s actually log more meals, weigh in more often, and log more exercise by their second month than those on Noom without a GLP-1.
- Strong weight loss outcomes at lower doses are both achievable and well established in the literature. A 2,700‑person real‑world study presented at the 2025 European Congress on Obesity showed an average 16% weight‑loss over 64 weeks at microdose levels of semaglutide. Meanwhile, another study in The New England Journal of Medicine shows just 33% of the dose of one popular GLP-1 drove 72% of the weight loss at week 72 with a lower side effect profile.
- The benefits from GLP-1s extend beyond weight. Recent analyses presented at the National Lipid Association’s 2025 Scientific Sessions highlighted cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic gains from GLP‑1s that appear partly independent of the amount of weight loss. Other studies show a similar impact on inflammatory markers independent of weight loss.. Meanwhile, other studies demonstrate a reduction in compulsive behaviors like drinking and gambling.
Taken together, the evidence is clear: microdoses of GLP-1 paired with microhabits can unlock outsized health benefits.
What is a Microdose?
Noom defines a microdose as a dose of medication that is a fraction – 25% or less – of the typically prescribed maintenance dose. Noom’s microdose dosing schedule is not one-size-fits-all. It accesses doses lower than the usual starter doses as well as additional doses up to 25% of the standard maintenance dose.
Within that band, the exact dosage schedule is established one member at a time: our physician-prescribed protocol, aided by Noom’s SmartDose experience, guides members to the lowest dose that achieves health goals. Factors influencing that decision include BMI, weight loss speed, side effect profile, and other health data.
“Noom has a unique, proprietary dataset that permits the level of deep personalization that our program deploys,” continued Dr. Jeffrey Egler. “The Noom program has comprehensive data on patient health, injection dates, side effects, and weight-loss speed, and we bring that data to bear to personalize the dosing to maximize outcomes and adherence not just to the medication, but to our Noom microhabits program.”
While many eligible GLP-1 users are deterred from starting medication due to fear of incurring side effects, others are challenged by high medication costs. Among those who do start using GLP-1s, over 50% stop due to costs, and as many as 36% stop due to side effects.
Noom’s Microdose GLP-1Rx Program bridges this gap by offering a more personalized, tolerable path to treatment. It is built on a guiding principle of using the lowest effective dose first. Rather than increasing medication on a fixed schedule, Noom’s physician-designed protocol adjusts dosing based on each patient's individual progress and response. This approach enables personalized care that supports meaningful weight loss while minimizing side effects and helping more people adhere to the treatment.
GLP-1s and Weight Loss Accessibility - Solving Today’s High-Priced Drug Crisis
GLP-1 medications continue to be significantly more affordable around the world than in the United States. Popular GLP-1 medications are priced around $99 a month in many developed nations, but at $499 a month to cash-pay patients in the United States. Cost is a major barrier to accessibility in the US, where the price of medications and healthcare services are often much higher than internationally.
Noom’s accessibly priced Microdose GLP-1Rx Program, starting at $119, builds on the company’s advocacy efforts on behalf of patients in the US. In April 2025, Noom sponsored a back cover advertisement in the The Wall Street Journal calling for the creation of a High-Priced Drug List by HHS. The High-Priced Drug List is a market-based solution enabling competition from the country's 503A and 503B pharmacies when medications are priced higher in the United States compared to other developed countries.
In addition to the launch of Noom’s Microdose GLP-1Rx Program, on Wednesday, July 30th, at an event at The White House, Noom pledged to make available a free tier of Noom to all Americans – regardless of income or BMI. The free tier will launch before the end of the summer and deliver a personalized experience focused on building healthy habits in nutrition, physical activity, and stress reduction. “Medication alone will not end the obesity epidemic. Lifestyle change is essential,” said Cook. “By offering a no-cost way for anyone to build healthy habits with Noom, we can reach millions more Americans with the tools to help them live better longer. Pairing that with our new microdose GLP-1 program will help bend the curve on obesity rates in the United States.”
Noom Microdose GLP-1Rx Program includes:
- Microdose GLP-1 medication, if prescribed
- Full access to the Noom GLP-1 Companion behavior and microhabits program
- 24/7 access to message doctors and care coordinators
- Noom premium 1:1 health coaching
- Prescription home delivery
- Pricing: $119 to start and then $199 per month
Looking Ahead to Longevity
“GLP-1s with Noom’s microhabit program represent a modern treatment for the ills of modernity,” said Cook. “We help people sustain a healthy weight in a food environment engineered for dopamine-hits and excess consumption. By helping people limit compulsive eating and drinking, motivate movement, and reduce chronic inflammation, which we know GLP-1s can do, we promote a higher quality life.”
“The latest science demonstrates that we should be thinking about GLP-1 medication differently,” said Dr. Jeffrey Egler. “GLP-1s are no longer only useful for weight loss and diabetes – they are critical for building metabolic resilience and reducing inflammation, making them a powerful component of whole-person, lasting health. For our patients, we see GLP-1s as the first step in an extraordinary journey to true vitality.”
The Microdose GLP-1Rx Program is available to Americans in 45 states at the following link: https://www.noom.com/med/glp1-microdose/
About Noom:
Noom is the leading whole-person health platform, combining personalized medication with psychology and habit science to help people take control of their metabolic health, weight, and longevity. Noom Health partners with top health plans and employers to offer a suite of solutions, including Noom Med, Noom Weight, Noom GLP-1 Companion, and Noom Diabetes Management and Diabetes Prevention Program to millions.
Founded on a mission to empower everyone everywhere to live better longer, Noom has received multiple National Institute of Health grants and was the first mobile app recognized by the CDC as a certified diabetes prevention program. With offices in New York City and Princeton, NJ, Noom has been named one of Inc.’s Best Places to Work, Quartz’s Best Workplaces for Remote Workers, and Fortune’s Best Workplaces in Technology.
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Contact:
Brandyn Bissinger
comms@noom.com
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