Key takeaways:
Vyleesi (bremelanotide) is an injectable medication that treats low libido in women who haven't gone through menopause. It's only available at certain specialty pharmacies. A single Vyleesi injection can cost over $280 without insurance.
Most commercial and Medicaid insurance cover Vyleesi — but you may need a prior authorization first.The manufacturer's savings program can lower the cost of 4 Vyleesi injections to $0 for those with insurance coverage and $99 for those without.
Using funds from a tax-advantaged healthcare account can also help lower your overall costs.
Save on related medications
Many women experience low libido (sex drive). In fact, it's estimated that hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD), affects 10% of U.S. women.
Vyleesi (bremelanotide) is an injectable medication that treats HSDD in women who haven't gone through menopause. You'll inject it into your stomach or thigh as needed, at least 45 minutes before sexual activity. treatment for low female sex drive.
Vylessi is a specialty medication. This means it's only available from a specialty pharmacy. And it's likely more expensive than non-specialty treatment options. Here's what to know about how much Vyleesi costs without insurance and ways to save on your prescription.
How much does Vyleesi cost without insurance?
Without insurance, Vyleesi costs about $290 per auto-injector. Since you can inject up to 8 doses per month, this can lead to a total monthly cost of over $2,000.
The good news is that there are savings programs available for Vyleesi. They apply regardless of whether or not you have insurance coverage. So you'll likely pay less than this for your Vyleesi prescription.
Is Vyleesi covered by insurance?
Many commercial and most Medicaid health insurance plans cover brand-name Vyleesi. But fewer than 20% of plans purchased through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace cover it. Vyleesi also isn't covered by Medicare, since it's only FDA-approved for women who haven't gone through menopause.
If you have insurance, review your plan’s summary of benefits and coverage and formulary (list of covered medications) to determine whether Vyleesi is covered and how much you can expect to pay for it.
How insurance covers Vyleesi
The following chart shows the likelihood of having coverage for Vyleesi based on insurance type. It also shows how likely it is that a plan will require a prior authorization or step therapy. These are additional steps the insurance plan may require before they'll cover Vyleesi.
More than half of commercial and Medicaid plans require prior authorization for Vyleesi, but step therapy is required by less than 1% of commercial plans. Although it’s not listed below, Tricare military health insurance covers Vyleesi with limitations.
Insurance Coverage for Vyleesi (1.75 mg/0.3 mL Subcutaneous Auto-injector)
Insurance type | Enrollees covered for Vyleesi auto-injector | Enrollees required to get prior authorization | Enrollees required to do step therapy |
|---|---|---|---|
Commercial plans (not including plans purchased through an ACA marketplace) | 70.7% | 55.7% | 0.3% |
16.1% | 12.9% | 0% | |
Medicare, including original Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Medicaid, including state-run and managed care plans | 92.3% | 57.6% | 0% |
Source: Managed Markets Insight & Technology, LLC™, as of February 11, 2025. (See methodology below.)
Tips if your medication isn’t covered by insurance
If your insurance doesn’t cover Vyleesi, you still have options:
Request a formulary exception from your insurance company. If your request is denied, you have the right to file an appeal.
Look into other ways to save on your prescription (more on that next).
Ask your prescriber about switching to an alternative medication for low libido that's more likely to be covered by your insurance plan.
When it’s time for open enrollment, compare different health insurance plans to find one that provides the coverage you need.
Ways to save on the cost of Vyleesi
There are ways to lower your out-of-pocket costs for Vyleesi. Keep in mind that specialty pharmacy staff can also typically help you find ways to access your medication at a more affordable price. So don’t hesitate to reach out for help if you need it
1. Manufacturer savings program
If you have commercial insurance, you may be able to pay as little as $0 for your Vyleesi prescription. If Vyleesi isn't covered under your plan, the price may be as low as $99 for 4 doses. People with government-funded plans, such as Medicaid or TRICARE, aren't eligible for this savings program.
This savings prgoram is only available through BlinkRx, the manufacturer's preferred specialty pharmacy. To enroll, visit blinkrx.com or call 1-833-799-5028.
2. Tap into your HSA, FSA, or HRA
If you have a health savings account (HSA), flexible spending account (FSA), or health reimbursement arrangement (HRA), you can use it to help cover your out-of-pocket costs for Darzalex. These tax-advantaged healthcare accounts let you pay for eligible expenses with tax-free dollars.
Pay for your medication directly with your HSA or FSA card, or cover the cost yourself and submit a request for reimbursement. The funds in HSAs and HRAs typically roll over annually, but you have to use FSA dollars before the deadline or they’ll expire.
The bottom line
Vyleesi (bremelanotide) is an injectable medication that treats low libido in women who haven't gone through menopause. It's only available at certain specialty pharmacies. A single Vyleesi injection can cost over $280 without insurance. But most commercial and Medicaid insurance cover Vyleesi — although you may need a prior authorization first.
The manufacturer's savings program can lower the cost of 4 Vyleesi injections to $0 for those with insurance coverage and $99 for those without. Using funds from a tax-advantaged healthcare account can also help lower your overall costs.
Why trust our experts?
Methodology
We obtained national prescription coverage data for each medication from Managed Markets Insight & Technology (MMIT). The data reflects health insurance coverage as of February 2025.
We calculated the percentage of enrollees in plans that cover each medication by dividing the number of enrollees covered for the medication within a specific insurance channel (e.g., ACA, Medicare, Medicaid) by the total number of enrollees in all plans within that channel.
We determined the percentage of enrollees in plans with a prior authorization requirement by calculating the proportion of enrollees in plans that required prior authorization for the medication within each channel.
Finally, we measured the percentage of enrollees in plans with a step therapy requirement by calculating the proportion of enrollees in plans that imposed step therapy requirements for the medication in each channel.
These estimates, derived from national MMIT coverage data, provide insight into health insurance coverage for each medication. They take into account restrictions such as prior authorization, step therapy, and quantity limits. The percentages are expressed relative to the total number of enrollees covered by various insurance channels, including the ACA, commercial (excluding ACA) plans, Medicare, and Medicaid (both state-run and managed care plans).
References
Express Scripts. (2025). TRICARE formulary search. Tricare.
Medicaid.gov. (n.d.). Managed care.
Pesantez, G. S. P., et al. (2021). Treatment of hypoactive sexual desire disorder among women: General considerations and pharmacological options. Focus.
Pfaus, J. G., et al. (2021). The neurobiology of bremelanotide for the treatment of hypoactive sexual desire disorder in premenopausal women. CNS Spectrums.
Planned Parenthood. (n.d.). Hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD).
Prifti, C., et al. (2024). Update on therapies and treatments in women’s health. Medical Clinics of North America. Elsevier.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2019). FDA approves new treatment for hypoactive sexual desire disorder in premenopausal women.
Vyleesi. (n.d.). What does Vyleesi cost, and is there help to pay for it? Cosette Pharmaceuticals.
