Bins of Ozempic and Wegovy made by Novo Nordisk at a pharmacy in London on March 8, 2024.
Hollie Adams | Reuters
Novo Nordisk on Monday stated it has lower the direct-to-consumer costs of its blockbuster weight reduction drug Wegovy and diabetes counterpart Ozempic, including to efforts by the corporate and the Trump administration to make the therapies extra accessible.
The Danish drugmaker is decreasing the worth of the medication for current cash-paying sufferers to $349 per thirty days from $499 per thirty days. However Novo Nordisk stated the cash-pay value of the very best dose of Ozempic will stay $499 per thirty days.
Additionally on Monday, Novo Nordisk launched a brief introductory provide, which can permit new cash-paying sufferers to entry the 2 lowest doses of Wegovy and Ozempic for $199 per thirty days for the primary two months of therapy. After that interval, folks transfer to the brand new commonplace month-to-month direct-to-consumer value. The corporate’s introductory provide ends on March 31.
The bulletins come days after President Donald Trump struck offers with Novo Nordisk and chief rival Eli Lilly to make their standard GLP-1 medication simpler for Individuals to entry and afford. These agreements will contain slicing the costs the federal government pays for the medication, introducing Medicare protection of weight problems medication for the primary time for sure sufferers and providing discounted medicines on the federal government’s new direct-to-consumer web site launching in January known as TrumpRx.
“Our new financial savings presents present instant impression, bringing ahead better value financial savings for individuals who are at present with out protection or select to self-pay,” stated Dave Moore, Novo Nordisk’s head of U.S. operations, stated in a launch. “It’s half of a bigger technique to broaden entry that features constructing relationships with telehealth suppliers and main retailers, increasing protection, and dealing with the Administration to decrease prices for folks dwelling with continual ailments like weight problems.”
The Trump administration stated beginning doses of current injections like Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s weight reduction drug Zepbound will probably be $350 per thirty days on TrumpRx, however will “development down” to $245 per thirty days over a two-year interval.
On the day the offers have been introduced, Eli Lilly stated it would decrease costs by $50 by itself direct-to-consumer platform, LillyDirect, which already presents Zepbound at a reduction to cash-paying sufferers. The multidose pen of Zepbound will probably be obtainable at $299 per thirty days on the lowest dose, with further doses being priced as much as $449 per thirty days.
Novo Nordisk’s new cash-pay presents can be found by means of Wegovy.com or Ozempic.com, the corporate’s direct-to-consumer pharmacy, NovoCare, and different taking part organizations and telehealth suppliers that work instantly with the drugmaker, together with Costco, GoodRx, WeightWatchers, Ro, LifeMD and eMed.
