MadeMed vs 1st Optimal
Two GLP-1 desks, one scoreboard. We put MadeMed and 1st Optimal head-to-head on the published Brief Score — the same six factors, scored the same way.
MadeMed
The verdict
MadeMed takes this head-to-head.
MadeMed scores 86 to 46 on our six-factor Brief Score — Publishes a price for every dose of every route — which makes it easy to brief, and expensive if you stay low.
That doesn't make 1st Optimal a bad call — it's best for patients wanting glp-1 therapy within a lab-driven functional-medicine program. Weigh the six factors below against your own priorities 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 Brief Score.
Factor by factor
Both desks scored on the six published Brief Score factors. The higher score in each row is marked. See the methodology.
Price, coverage & the tracker
| MadeMed | 1st Optimal | |
|---|---|---|
| Brief Score | 86/100 (B) | 46/100 (C) |
| Semaglutide | $239/mo injectable · $219/mo sublingual (quarterly) | Not disclosed |
| Tirzepatide | $399/mo injectable · $299/mo sublingual (quarterly) | Not disclosed |
| Coverage | 40 states | Coverage not published |
| Brand-name access | Compounded only | Compounded only |
| Oral / sublingual | Yes | Yes |
| On the tracker | Stableprice stable | Newnew to the tracker, no prior reading |
MadeMed: Publishes one price per route that holds at every dose — the cleanest dose-to-price mapping we track.
1st Optimal: New to the tracker on 1 August 2026. This program publishes no monthly medication price, so there is no line for us to track until it does.
● Not sold on either?
CoreAge Rx tops the whole board at 94/100.
The steadiest desk on the board: one flat, no-step-up price on both molecules, nationwide, and it hasn't moved.
Pricing, states and access reflect each provider's public disclosures at last review; the Brief Score is our editorial judgment per the methodology. Prices change — confirm on each provider's site. Not medical advice; see our disclosure.