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Key takeaways
Contrave is a weight loss medication that combines bupropion and naltrexone into one pill. While both of these medications are available as generics on their own, you won’t find them together in a generic form.
Insurance may not cover Contrave, and the typical retail price without insurance coverage can be over $800. SingleCare offers discounts of over 25% off the retail price of Contrave.
Speaking to a healthcare professional about cost-saving options or more effective alternatives to Contrave can be worthwhile.
Contrave (bupropion-naltrexone) is a prescription medication prescribed for weight loss that couples two active ingredients: the antidepressant bupropion and the opioid blocker naltrexone. These strange bedfellows make for an effective obesity treatment option. Contrave is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for chronic weight management as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity in those who meet the defined body mass index (BMI) criteria. Contrave has a retail price of $840 for a one-month supply. However, there are ways to reduce this cost. Read on to find out more.
Save up to 80% on Contrave with SingleCare
Different pharmacies offer different prices for the same medication. SingleCare helps find the best price for you.
Related: Contrave for weight loss: Does it work?
How much does Contrave cost without insurance?
If you have health insurance, the out-of-pocket amount for a Contrave prescription will depend on a few factors. For one, you will need to see if it is on the formulary, and if it is, then you should check to see if it is a preferred option. Your copay will depend on this information. Finally, you may want to know if prior authorization is required, meaning that the insurance provider will want to see if you meet their criteria for the drug. Those criteria could range from your BMI to whether you have tried other weight loss options or medicine in the past. Sometimes, you may be required to try an alternative, less expensive medication first if step therapy is required.
Without insurance, the listed retail price of $840 is a starting point. That amount would cover 120, 8-90 mg tablets, and since Contrave is taken as two tablets twice daily, it constitutes a one-month supply. In other words, it costs about $28 per day and adds up to over $10,000 annually. Those figures can certainly differ from pharmacy to pharmacy.
In comparison, 60, 150 mg tablets of 12-hour extended-release bupropion retail for about $100, and naltrexone retails for $150 for 30, 50 mg tablets. The price is much less for the individual active ingredients in Contrave if purchased separately. Unfortunately, the doses do not work out to be identical to Contrave’s mixture of 8 mg of naltrexone and 90 mg of bupropion per tablet, with two tablets taken twice daily. Some healthcare providers are comfortable with the dose differences, but you will need to check with your medical team if interested.
How much does generic Contrave cost without insurance?
There is no generic version of Contrave, and there may not be for at least a couple more years while patents on the product expire. The two drugs that make up Contrave are available as generic options. Historically, bupropion has been used for depression and smoking cessation, conditions that benefit from its dopamine and norepinephrine boost in the brain. Naltrexone is an opioid receptor antagonist, blocking the sites where opioids act and providing a treatment option for alcohol use disorder and opioid use disorder. These mechanisms of action may help reduce appetite and cravings.
The fact that bupropion and naltrexone are available as generic drugs individually should get your wheels turning about using them as a substitute for Contrave. This would be off-label use of the medications because the FDA has not approved them for weight loss. Dosing is another obstacle to this idea. The doses of bupropion and naltrexone in Contrave differ from the generic versions, so your healthcare provider must be creative in instructing you to get close to similar doses of Contrave. High doses of Contrave can be associated with the risk of seizure in those with certain medical conditions. Make sure that your healthcare provider knows your complete medical history before changing dosing or medications.
| Drug name | Price without insurance of brand-name drug | SingleCare price | Savings options |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contrave (bupropion extended-release 12-hour and naltrexone) | $840 per 120, 8-90 mg extended-release 12-hour tablets | $610 per 120, 8-90 mg extended-release 12-hour tablets of brand-name Contrave | See latest prices |
| Generic Contrave component (bupropion extended-release 12-hour) | $100 per 60, 150 mg extended-release 12-hour tablets | $6 per 60, 150 mg extended-release 12-hour tablets | See latest prices |
| Generic Contrave component (naltrexone) | $150 per 30, 50 mg tablets | $35 per 30, 50 mg tablets of generic naltrexone | See latest prices |
| Adipex-P (phentermine) | $115 per 30, 37.5 mg tablets | $10 per 30, 37.5 mg tablets of generic phentermine | See latest prices |
| Qsymia (phentermine-topiramate) | $280 per 30, 7.5-46 mg tablets | $80 per 30, 7.5-46 mg tablets of brand-name Qsymia | See latest prices |
| Wegovy (semaglutide) | $1820 per 4, 0.75 mL of 2.4 mg/0.75 mL pen injectors (dosed weekly) | $1230 per 4, 0.75 mL of 2.4 mg/0.75 mL pen injectors of brand-name Wegovy (dosed weekly) | See latest prices |
| Zepbound (tirzepatide) | $1510 per 4, 0.5 mL of 5 mg/0.5 mL pen injectors (dosed weekly) | $950 per 4, 0.5 mL of 5 mg/0.5 mL pen injectors of brand-name Zepbound (dosed weekly) | See latest prices |
| Saxenda (liraglutide) | $1810 per 5, 3 mL of 18mg/3mL pen injectors (dosed daily) | $1210 per 5, 3 mL of 18mg/3mL pen injectors of brand-name Saxenda (dosed daily) | See latest prices |
Prescription drug prices often change. These are the most accurate medication prices at the time of publishing. The listed price without insurance references the price of brand-name drugs (unless otherwise specified). The listed SingleCare price references the price of generic drugs if available. Click the “Savings options” link to see the latest drug prices.
Is Contrave covered by insurance?
Insurance plans and Medicare often do not cover Contrave. Aetna’s Standard Control Plan and a Human Medicare plan are examples of plans that do not cover the drug in 2025. However, you should still check your plan’s drug formulary to see if it is listed.
Insurance carriers’ coverage of weight loss drugs is highly variable. Some even list Contrave as preferred over the more expensive glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 agonists) being used for weight management, such as Saxenda, Wegovy, and Zepbound.
How to get Contrave without insurance
Paying the full price for Contrave or other brand-name medications can be challenging for your budget. Savings programs can help. The manufacturer of Contrave, Currax, offers the CurAccess Program, which is available to those with insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, and Tricare, provided eligibility guidelines are met. Additionally, the Contrave Savings coupon card can help reduce the price. However, there may be restrictions associated with both options.
For saving options that everyone can qualify for, look over the following:
1. Get a SingleCare discount card
Use a SingleCare prescription discount card at your local pharmacy to see the difference in pricing. It can knock the price of Contrave down from $840 to $610, a savings of $230 per month or $2760 annually.
2. Use a Contrave coupon
A SingleCare coupon for Contrave can save you about 25% off the retail price.
3. Shop around at different pharmacies
Prices can vary. For example, with a SingleCare discount, Contrave can cost between $610 and $660, depending on the pharmacy.
4. Get medical advice from your healthcare provider
Talk to your healthcare provider to see if generic extended-release bupropion and naltrexone, taken separately, could be a viable alternative for you. Their combined price with a SingleCare discount would be $41 monthly. Remember that the FDA does not approve this use, and dosing is not identical to Contrave.
5. Consider a cheaper weight-loss drug
Generic phentermine costs $10 for a one-month supply, but it is a controlled substance and is only approved for up to six months of use. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines and vitamins. Adverse effects of phentermine can include high blood pressure and an increase in heart rate, which are enough to scare many people from taking it. Of note, Contrave can also be associated with these common side effects. If an allergic reaction occurs, such as painful sores or swelling, seek immediate medical attention.
6. Think about a more effective weight management medicine
The GLP-1 agonist Zepbound sounds pricey at $950, even with a SingleCare discount. Still, studies have shown potential for around 20% weight loss with Zepbound, as opposed to about 6% body weight reduction with Contrave. The additional efficacy of Zepbound may be worth the added expense to some people. Zepbound has the same active ingredient, tirzepatide, as the Type 2 diabetes drug Mounjaro.
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- Contrave drug patent profile, DrugPatentWatch (2024)
- Aetna standard control plan formulary, Aetna (2025)
- Humana Medicare drug pricing app, Humana (2025)
- Contrave drug label, NIH DailyMed (2024)
- Tirzepatide once weekly for the treatment of obesity, New England Journal of Medicine (2022)
- Effect of naltrexone plus bupropion on weight loss in overweight and obese adults (COR-1): A multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 trial, Lancet (2010)