Head-to-head · Cost-Efficiency Index
Science & Co vs Direct Meds
Two GLP-1 programs on the bench, scored on the same six factors. Here's how their real cost of ownership compares — and which one we'd start with.
Science & Co
A twelve-month committer, or someone who values a company stating plainly what it is and is not.
Visit Science & CoDirect Meds
Needle-averse shoppers who want a sublingual route on either molecule and will pay above the going rate for it, having accepted a three-month supply as the smallest unit sold.
Visit Direct MedsThe verdict
Science & Co takes it, leading the Cost-Efficiency Index 74 to 71. Declares in its own footer that it is not a compounding facility, and explains its own asterisk in its own FAQ — two disclosures most of this market never makes. Direct Meds still earns a C — Needle-averse shoppers who want a sublingual route on either molecule and will pay above the going rate for it, having accepted a three-month supply as the smallest unit sold.
Worth knowing either way: our overall #1 pick is CoreAge Rx (Cost-Efficiency Index 94/100 — the top of the ranking). See how it stacks up: CoreAge Rx vs Science & Co.
Factor by factor
Both providers scored on our six Cost-Efficiency Index factors. The stronger side on each row is marked in teal.
Normalized Cost/Month
Price Transparency
Nationwide Access
Formulation Options
Clinical Oversight
Contract Flexibility
Pricing, coverage & formulary
The disclosed facts behind the scores. Lower price wins its row (teal).
| Spec | Science & Co | Direct Meds |
|---|---|---|
| Cost-Efficiency Index | 74/100 | 71/100 |
| Semaglutide / mo | $149/mo month-to-month; $79 only on a twelve-month plan | $249/mo (sublingual, 90-day supply billed monthly) |
| Tirzepatide / mo | $199/mo month-to-month; $125 only on a twelve-month plan | $299/mo (sublingual, 90-day supply billed monthly) |
| Semaglutide / yr (modeled) | $1,788 | $2,988 |
| Tirzepatide / yr (modeled) | $2,388 | $3,588 |
| Coverage | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Oral / sublingual | No | Yes |
| Brand-name access | Compounded only | Compounded only |
| Rank here | #62 | #64 |
Science & Co
74/100Where the value is
- States twice in its footer that "Science and Co, Inc. is not a 503A or 503B compounding facility"
- Its own FAQ names the commitment behind the headline: "Plans start at $79 a month on the 12 month plan"
- The printed saving corroborates the reference price — 79 divided by 149 is 53%, exactly the "Save 47%" shown
The tradeoffs
- The number it leads with is a twelve-month commitment; the per-month rates are $149 and $199
- Only two figures are published per drug, so a three- or six-month plan cannot be priced without starting an intake
Direct Meds
71/100Where the value is
- Sublingual AND injection on BOTH molecules — four GLP-1 SKUs, the widest formulation range of any provider in this ranking
- Every price is published per SKU in a public shop, with no quiz, intake or email capture in front of it
- Each product page prints a per-day equivalent beside the monthly rate ($8.03/day at $249), which is unusually concrete for this category
The tradeoffs
- $249/mo sublingual is well above this ranking's ~$144 median, and the injection route is $297 — the cheapest thing here is dearer than most rows' headline price
- The only purchasable option on every product page is a 90-DAY SUPPLY billed monthly, so three months is the smallest unit sold — there is no month-to-month rate to compare against the rows beside it
Regulatory note: the FDA issued a warning letter to directmeds.com, Inc. dba DirectMeds in September 2025. We still list and link to Direct Meds; you should know the letter is on the public record before you decide.
Assume any provider we list may compensate us — we may earn a commission, at no cost to you. It never changes the Cost-Efficiency Index. Pricing, states and verification reflect each provider's public disclosures at last review; prices change — confirm on the provider's site. Not medical advice. See our disclosure.