The Danish laboratory Novo Nordisk, struggling due to competition in its anti-obesity treatments, announced on Tuesday that it would drastically reduce the prices of its flagship drugs in the United States, by 50% for Wegovy and 35% for Ozempic.
"This decision applies to all dosages of these drugs and reflects Novo Nordisk's commitment to improving affordability for patients as well as for public and private payers facing the complexities of the evolving U.S. healthcare system," the pharmaceutical group wrote in a statement.
From January 1, 2027, the list price will be $675 (€573) for Wegovy, which costs around $1,350 per month, as well as for Ozempic and Rybelsus, treatments which each cost around $1,000.
For Novo Nordisk, this price reduction should allow them to reach more patients.
"This is the best approach to seize the unprecedented opportunity to help more than 100 million people living with obesity and more than 35 million people with type 2 diabetes in the United States," said U.S. operations manager Jamey Millar.
A few weeks ago, Novo Nordisk announced it was suing the American chain Hims & Hers for patent infringement because the latter had once marketed a copy of the Wegovy tablet version.
Limited production capacity for this flagship drug had previously led the FDA to temporarily allow pharmacies to order compounded or generic versions of Wegovy and Ozempic, another Novo Nordisk drug for treating diabetes.
This authorization expired on May 22nd, but Novo Nordisk is complaining about the continued availability of generic versions of its drugs.
Ozempic, available by injection and praised on social media for its slimming properties, is an antidiabetic drug, while Wegovy, available by injection and tablet, targets weight loss.
Both treatments use the same molecule, an analogue of GLP-1 (short for glugaco-like peptide 1), a hormone secreted by the intestines that stimulates insulin secretion and curbs appetite by providing a feeling of satiety.
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