Head-to-head · WeighScore
Ascend Vitality vs Cost Plus Drugs
The verdict
Ascend Vitality takes it — 60.9/100 to 58.5/100.
Ascend Vitality grades higher on WeighScore, our editorial score across cost value, dose & formulation, clinical oversight, labs & monitoring, fulfillment and contract terms. Ascend Vitality is a cash-pay GLP-1 telehealth provider offering compounded semaglutide (starting at $199/mo) and compounded tirzepatide (starting at $299/mo) as both weekly injectables and needle-free…
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Factor by factor
The same six graded dimensions, side by side. See the methodology.
The numbers
| Metric | Ascend Vitality | Cost Plus Drugs |
|---|---|---|
| WeighScore | 60.9/100 | 58.5/100 |
| Grade | C | C |
| Scorecard rank | #307 | #371 |
| Semaglutide | $199/mo (compounded) | $279/mo (brand Ozempic) |
| Tirzepatide | $299/mo (compounded) | Not disclosed |
| Coverage | Coverage not published | All 50 states |
| Brand-name access | Compounded only | Yes |
| Oral / sublingual | Yes | Injection only |
Graded #307 · C
Strengths
- Both injectable and needle-free oral tablet forms of semaglutide and tirzepatide
- LegitScript certified
- Transparent cash-pay pricing with cancel-anytime subscription
- Legal entity and address publicly disclosed (Ascend Vitality LLC, Sheridan, WY)
Where it loses points
- All medications are compounded — FDA does not review compounded drugs for safety/effectiveness
- No named compounding pharmacy partner disclosed
- No public state-by-state availability list (homepage cites exclusions: LA, MS, KS, NM, WV)
- Per-dose/titration pricing not published; only 'starting at' prices shown
Graded #371 · C
Strengths
- Transparent pricing: wholesale cost + 15% markup + $5 pharmacy fee, the same for everyone
- Around $279/mo for branded Ozempic — well below typical retail list prices
- Mark Cuban's PBM-disrupting pharmacy, praised by Forbes Health, Wired, and KFF Health News
- Ships to all 50 states; genuine FDA-approved Novo Nordisk Ozempic, not compounded
- Partnered with 9amHealth so you can get prescribed and fill at Cost Plus pricing
Where it loses points
- Fulfillment only — no telehealth intake; you need a prescription from an outside clinician
- Ozempic is FDA-indicated for type 2 diabetes, not weight management — weight-loss use is off-label
- Wegovy availability has been spotty — check current stock before assuming it ships
- No compounded semaglutide or tirzepatide — brand only
- No clinical follow-up — side-effect monitoring falls to your prescribing clinician
Also worth a look
Neither is our top-graded pick — CoreAge Rx leads the scorecard
Across all 499 providers, CoreAge Rx grades highest at 91.8/100 (A−). Top of the scorecard: flat transparent pricing, both molecules, nationwide — no teaser-rate games.
Pricing/verification reflect each provider's public disclosures at last grading; the WeighScore is our editorial judgment per the methodology. Prices change — confirm on each provider's site. Not medical advice; see our disclosure.