HollyHerman.com is an independent wellness publication. We don't provide medical services or write reviews from press releases. This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult with a licensed healthcare provider before starting any prescription medication, including GLP-1 therapy.
If you've spent any time on weight loss TikTok, Instagram, or even just regular Facebook this past year, you've probably seen Novi pop up. The ads tend to feature women — working mothers, women in their forties, women who lost the baby weight twenty years ago and have spent the last two decades trying to lose the weight again. That's the audience Novi is clearly speaking to. So when our readers started asking us about it, I decided to do what I always do: spend a few weeks pulling apart the platform from the inside out.
What follows is what I found after digging through Novi's Terms of Service, Privacy Practices, Refund Policy, Medical Consent forms, pricing structure, provider directory, and the published clinical evidence on the actual medications they prescribe. I have not personally used Novi — I'm pre-menopausal and currently a poor candidate for GLP-1 therapy — but I have reviewed three other compounded GLP-1 telehealth platforms in detail (MEDVi, TrimRx, and AgelessRx), so I have a reasonable basis for evaluating where Novi sits in the landscape.
What Novi Actually Is
Novi is a telehealth platform operated by Novi International LLC, a Wyoming-registered company with corporate operations based in Dallas, Texas. The platform connects patients with U.S.-licensed clinicians who can prescribe compounded versions of GLP-1 medications — specifically compounded semaglutide and compounded tirzepatide — for weight management when medically appropriate.
You complete a three-minute online questionnaire about your health history, weight goals, and any medical conditions. A licensed clinician reviews your information and, if appropriate, may schedule a brief telehealth visit. If you're prescribed treatment, the medication ships directly to your home with the supplies needed for self-administration. Each shipment covers a four-week supply on a monthly auto-renewal cycle.
This is the same operational model used by most compounded GLP-1 telehealth platforms. The differences come down to pricing, provider quality, pharmacy sourcing, support model, and the specifics of the subscription terms — all of which I'll get into below.
Novi Pricing: The Real Numbers
Per Novi's published pricing, compounded semaglutide starts at $174 per month and compounded tirzepatide starts at $283 per month. These are intentionally positioned as the “most affordable” tier in the compounded telehealth space, and on a straight monthly comparison that holds up reasonably well.
Brand-name semaglutide (Wegovy) runs around $1,349 per month at retail without insurance. Brand-name tirzepatide (Zepbound) runs around $1,069 per month. Even with insurance and a successful prior authorization, copays of $200 to $400 monthly are common. So Novi's compounded pricing represents roughly an 87% reduction versus retail Wegovy and 74% versus retail Zepbound.
The number that doesn't show up on the homepage but does show up in the Terms of Service is the three-month minimum commitment. By enrolling in subscription services, you agree to pay for a minimum of three consecutive months. The first month plus the next two months are charged at the time of purchase and are non-refundable, with one exception: if Novi's clinician determines you are not medically appropriate for the prescription, the initial payment is refunded.
That commitment matters. It means starting Novi on semaglutide is really a $522 commitment up front (3 × $174), not $174. Starting on tirzepatide is an $849 commitment up front. For most people that's still a meaningful savings versus brand-name retail — but it's a different financial decision than “I'll try one month and see how it goes.” For a more detailed breakdown of what's actually included in the monthly fee, see my Novi cost breakdown.
The Compounded vs FDA-Approved Question
This is the part most affiliate review sites either skip or bury in fine print, so let me put it up here where it belongs. The medications Novi prescribes are compounded semaglutide and compounded tirzepatide. They contain the same active ingredients as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound — but the compounded versions themselves have not been individually evaluated by the FDA for safety, effectiveness, or quality.
That's not me editorializing. That's the regulatory reality of compounded medications, and any platform that doesn't disclose it clearly is operating in a gray area you should be cautious about. Novi's Terms of Service do address this through reference to U.S.-licensed pharmacies and compliance with state and federal regulations, but the homepage marketing does lean into the “same active ingredient as Ozempic and Wegovy” framing without the compounded-versus-approved distinction front and center.
If you want a deeper explanation of what compounded GLP-1 actually means, how the active ingredients work, and why the FDA distinction matters, I wrote a separate piece on how compounded GLP-1 works for women. Worth reading before you sign up for any platform in this space.
Novi's Provider Directory
Novi publishes a provider directory on the joinnovi.com site that includes both physicians and nurse practitioners. The named providers I was able to verify include Daniel Funsch MD (American Board of Emergency Medicine), Kimberli Hastings NP (American Academy of Nurse Practitioners), Kristine Clements NP (board-certified family nurse practitioner with 25+ years of clinical experience including USAF flight medic service), Michael Wasef MD (American Board of Internal Medicine), Theresa Vergara NP DNP (Doctorate in Nursing), and Takashi Nakamura MD (American Board of Emergency Medicine).
That's a reasonable provider mix. The presence of board-certified physicians alongside experienced nurse practitioners is what you'd expect from an operating telehealth platform. Whether you personally see one of these specific providers or another clinician on Novi's network depends on your state of residence and scheduling — telehealth platforms typically rotate providers based on state licensure.
Pharmacy Sourcing and Authenticity
Novi states that medications are sourced from “trusted, licensed U.S. pharmacies” and that the company uses FDA-approved medications when appropriate. The compounded formulations themselves are not FDA-approved — that's the regulatory distinction I covered above — but the pharmacies preparing them are required to be U.S.-licensed and operate under state pharmacy board oversight.
Novi's Privacy Practices and HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices do appear to be properly structured. They acknowledge HIPAA, HITECH, and applicable state privacy laws, name a Privacy Officer, and disclose the right to file complaints with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights. That's standard for a legitimately operating telehealth platform.
What Novi Includes in the Monthly Fee
According to the Terms of Service, the monthly subscription fee includes the medication itself, the injection supplies needed for self-administration, the independent physician consultation fee (listed at $20 per month going to the affiliated medical group), and ongoing access to the care team for check-ins, dose adjustments, and questions. Coaching is included at no additional cost. Shipping is offered as free 2-day delivery per the homepage.
The all-inclusive structure is a positive — there are no separate consultation fees, no membership fees layered on top of medication costs, and no surprise charges for asking questions or adjusting your dose. Compared to platforms that charge separately for consultations, follow-ups, and refills, Novi's flat monthly model is cleaner.
The Refund Policy: Read It Before You Sign Up
Novi's published Refund Policy is brief and worth quoting accurately: due to the nature of the products, the company does not accept returns. The Terms of Service add the operational detail — once a prescription has been dispensed or shipped, it cannot be returned or refunded. Cancellation stops future renewals but does not reverse charges that have already processed.
The one exception, again, is the medical-eligibility refund: if Novi's clinician reviews your information and determines you're not appropriate for the prescription, your initial payment is refunded. That's standard for compliant compounded telehealth and should be the floor, not the ceiling, of refund expectations on any platform in this category.
If you're someone who needs the option to try one month and back out, this is not the platform for you. The 3-month commitment is real, the non-refundability of dispensed medication is real, and Novi explicitly notes in the Terms of Service that they will defend chargeback disputes aggressively for customers attempting to circumvent the commitment. I respect the directness of that disclosure — it's clearer than most.
Side Effects and Safety Considerations
GLP-1 medications carry real safety considerations regardless of where you get them prescribed. The most common side effects in the early weeks are gastrointestinal — nausea, diarrhea, constipation, and stomach discomfort — and these typically improve as the body adjusts to titration. More serious but rare risks include pancreatitis, gallbladder issues, and the FDA boxed warning about thyroid C-cell tumors observed in animal studies.
Anyone with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 should not use these medications. Patients with a history of pancreatitis should discuss whether GLP-1 therapy is appropriate before starting. Pregnancy and breastfeeding are also contraindications.
For a much more detailed breakdown of what to expect in the first month — particularly for women, where there are some specific considerations around hormonal cycling and GLP-1 timing — see my guide to GLP-1 side effects in women.
Who Novi Actually Fits
Based on everything I've reviewed, Novi seems like a reasonable fit for a specific reader profile. You meet the clinical criteria for GLP-1 treatment (typically a BMI of 30, or 27 with at least one weight-related comorbidity). You don't have insurance coverage for brand-name weight loss medications, or your insurance company keeps denying prior authorization. You value the convenience of fully remote care and don't need or want in-person clinical visits. You're prepared to commit to a 3-month protocol rather than treating it as a one-month experiment.
It's probably not the right fit if you have complex medical conditions requiring hands-on monitoring, prefer face-to-face clinical care, have insurance that already covers brand-name GLP-1 medications with manageable copays, or aren't comfortable with weekly self-injections. The compounded formulations also haven't been independently FDA-evaluated, so if regulatory transparency about the specific product you're injecting matters to you above all else, brand-name routes through your primary care provider may suit you better.
How Novi Compares to MEDVi, TrimRx, and AgelessRx
I've reviewed three other compounded GLP-1 telehealth platforms in detail and the comparison is worth understanding. Each one positions itself slightly differently. MEDVi leans clinical and educational. TrimRx leans toward pricing transparency and the working middle-class buyer. AgelessRx leans toward the longevity and optimization audience and offers GLP-1 microdosing alongside a much broader catalog of off-label longevity protocols.
Novi sits closest to the MEDVi positioning but with more aggressive pricing on semaglutide specifically and more women-forward marketing. For a side-by-side comparison of all of these platforms with the actual numbers and the trade-offs, see my full Novi vs MEDVi vs TrimRx comparison.
The Bottom Line
Novi is a legitimately operating compounded GLP-1 telehealth platform with reasonable pricing, a properly structured provider directory, standard HIPAA-compliant privacy practices, and an honest disclosure about the 3-month commitment buried in the Terms of Service. The marketing leans into the “same active ingredient as Ozempic and Wegovy” framing harder than I'd prefer — the compounded-versus-FDA-approved distinction deserves to be on the homepage, not just in the FAQ — but that's a category-wide criticism, not a Novi-specific one.
For the right reader — a woman who meets clinical criteria, has no insurance route to brand-name medications, and is prepared for the 3-month commitment — Novi is a reasonable choice. It is neither the cheapest option in this category nor the most premium, but the all-inclusive monthly fee structure is one of the cleaner ones I've reviewed.
If you're seriously considering it, read the Terms of Service in full before you sign up. The 3-month commitment, the non-refundability of dispensed medication, and the Novi cancellation timing rules are all in there, and a $522 to $849 up-front decision deserves more than a 3-minute quiz before you click “Get Started.”
Want to keep reading about the broader telehealth GLP-1 landscape? Browse our full weight loss category for ongoing reviews of telehealth platforms, GLP-1 alternatives, and the supplements and recipes our team has tested first-hand.
Editorial note: This article references Novi's published Terms of Service, Privacy Practices, Refund Policy, and Medical Consent forms as of the date of publication. Compounded semaglutide and compounded tirzepatide are not FDA-approved for safety, effectiveness, or quality. Individual outcomes vary based on multiple clinical factors. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.
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