‘Miracle’ Weight Loss Drug Ozempic To Enter US Worth Negotiations Inside A Yr, Novo Nordisk CEO Says Forward Of Senate Listening to – Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO)

Novo Nordisk‘s NVO CEO Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen, has revealed that their diabetes medicine and infrequently hailed as a “miracle” weight reduction drug, Ozempic will quickly be eligible for U.S. authorities worth negotiations, doubtlessly inside the subsequent 12 months.

What Occurred: Jorgensen is scheduled to testify earlier than a Senate committee on Tuesday to debate U.S. pricing for Ozempic and the load loss drug Wegovy. The feedback align with Wall Road analysts’ expectations that Ozempic might be on the 2027 worth negotiation checklist, which might be introduced in February 2025, Reuters reported.

Final week, one other Novo govt indicated that Ozempic would “very probably” be included within the 2027 checklist. A month’s provide of Ozempic at the moment lists at $935.77 within the U.S., whereas Wegovy lists for $1,349.02 per 30 days, though insurance coverage typically reduces these prices.

The Inflation Discount Act of 2022 permits Medicare to barter costs for expensive prescribed drugs, impacting hundreds of thousands of Individuals. Each Ozempic and Wegovy have confronted scrutiny from lawmakers over their excessive costs within the U.S.

Jorgensen famous that the online worth of Ozempic has decreased by about 40% since its U.S. introduction, and Wegovy’s internet worth has equally declined since its launch. He expects internet costs for each medication to proceed to fall underneath present market situations.

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Why It Issues: The upcoming Senate listening to, scheduled for Tuesday, will see Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen face rigorous questioning from U.S. lawmakers concerning the excessive costs of Ozempic and Wegovy. Senator Bernie Sanders, chair of the Senate Committee on Well being, Schooling, Labor, and Pensions, has been vocal in regards to the exorbitant prices of those drugs.

In a earlier interview, Jorgensen defended the excessive U.S. costs, arguing that these medication assist cut back the financial burden of obesity-related well being points, which prices the U.S. over $400 billion yearly. He dismissed accusations that Novo Nordisk operates as a drug cartel as “unfounded.”

Moreover, the difficulty of counterfeit Ozempic has emerged as a big concern. Criminals have been distributing faux variations of the drug by forging batch numbers, which has grow to be a global challenge. The World Well being Group and Interpol have each issued warnings about these counterfeit merchandise.

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This story was generated utilizing Benzinga Neuro and edited by Pooja Rajkumari