Noom launches affordable, tech-enabled Microdose GLP-1 Program to enable weight loss without side effects

After years of skyrocketing obesity rates, the U.S. seems to have hit a grim plateau — more than 40% of adults now live with obesity, far above the UK (26%), Germany (23%), and France (10%). The reasons are well-worn: high drug prices, nasty side effects, and a culture that makes sustainable lifestyle change an uphill battle. Now, Noom — the digital health company best known for behavior-change programs — is taking a swing at all three with its new Microdose GLP-1Rx Program.

It's a $119 starting plan, then $199 a month, and it folds medication, coaching, and a "microhabits" program into one package. The aim? Deliver the health gains of GLP-1 drugs like semaglutide, without the debilitating side effects that often send patients running for the exit.

Or, as Dr. Jeffrey Egler, Noom's Chief Medical Officer, puts it: "We set out to virtually eliminate side effects for the vast majority, so that more than 70% of people would encounter no side effects."

How does it work?

The approach is "low and slow." Instead of the industry's race to full dosage, Noom prescribes microdoses — just 25% or less of the typical maintenance dose. That's sometimes even lower than the usual starter amount. Dosing isn't fixed; it's personalized. Using Noom's proprietary dataset on weight change, injection timing, and side effects, the SmartDose system adjusts each person's schedule to find the sweet spot: the lowest effective dose for their goals.

Key elements include:

• Microdose GLP-1 medication, if prescribed
• Access to the Noom GLP-1 Companion program for behavior and habit change
• 24/7 messaging with doctors and care coordinators
• One-on-one health coaching
• Home delivery of prescriptions

Noom's own numbers claim 70% of microdose patients report no side effects, compared with over 70% of standard-dose patients who experience them. Early results show weight loss of up to 11 pounds in 30 days, 17 pounds in 60 — all at a fraction of conventional doses.

Why does it matter?

GLP-1 drugs aren't just about the number on the scale. Research shows they can improve cardiovascular health, kidney function, metabolic resilience, and even reduce compulsive behaviors like drinking or gambling — benefits partly independent of weight loss.

But here's the rub: in the U.S., these medications can run $499 a month — roughly five times more than in many other developed countries. That price tag is a brick wall for most patients. And even among those who start, over half quit because of cost, while more than a third stop due to side effects.

By trimming the dose, Noom trims both the side effects and the bill. And when paired with microhabits — healthier eating, more movement, stress reduction — the medication becomes a tool, not a crutch.

As CEO Geoff Cook says: "Medication alone will not end the obesity epidemic. Lifestyle change is essential."

The context

The U.S. has become the most expensive market in the world for many prescription drugs, GLP-1s included. In April 2025, Noom even ran a back cover ad in The Wall Street Journal, pushing for a "High-Priced Drug List" that would let more affordable versions enter the market.

The new program launches alongside another pledge: by the end of summer, Noom will roll out a free tier of its habit-building platform for all Americans, regardless of income or BMI. The idea is to make the foundational skills of health — better eating, regular activity, and stress control — available to everyone, with or without medication.

"GLP-1s with Noom's microhabit program represent a modern treatment for the ills of modernity," says Cook. In his view, it's about more than slimming waistlines; it's about fighting a food environment engineered for dopamine hits and overconsumption, while building the kind of metabolic resilience that pays dividends for decades.

Noom's Microdose GLP-1Rx Program is already live in 45 states. Whether it truly "bends the curve" on obesity will take time to prove — but it's aiming to make the climb less steep, and a lot less nauseating.

And finally, it would be interesting to see a local GCC or MENA-based company launching something similar in their own country (and then expanding it across the region).