Novo Nordisk‘s high government confronted a Senate grilling on Tuesday over the excessive costs of the corporate’s weight reduction drug Wegovy and diabetes remedy Ozempic, as demand for each injections soars within the U.S.
Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen didn’t explicitly promise lawmakers at a Senate Well being, Training, Labor and Pensions Committee listening to in Washington, D.C., that he would slash costs for the 2 medicine.
However Jørgensen stated he needs to work with them on coverage options that may deal with the “structural points” that drive up prescription drug prices. He additionally dedicated to sitting down with pharmacy profit managers – middlemen who negotiate drug rebates with producers on behalf of insurers – to “collaborate on something that helps sufferers get entry and affordability.”
That pledge got here after Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont unbiased who chairs the Senate panel, stated he acquired commitments in writing from all the main PBMs that they’d not restrict protection of Wegovy and Ozempic if Novo Nordisk decreased their checklist costs. The listening to comes roughly 5 months after Sanders opened an investigation into the Danish drugmaker’s pricing practices.
“All we’re saying, Mr. Jørgensen, is deal with the American folks the identical manner that you simply deal with folks everywhere in the world,” Sanders stated in the course of the listening to Tuesday. “Cease ripping us off.”
He famous that Novo Nordisk has raked in almost $50 billion in gross sales from Wegovy and Ozempic, with most of that income coming from the U.S. Sanders contends that Novo Nordisk expenses Individuals considerably greater costs for its blockbuster medicine than it does for sufferers in different international locations. Earlier than insurance coverage, Ozempic prices almost $969 monthly and Wegovy prices virtually $1,350 monthly within the U.S.
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) speaks throughout Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Jorgensen’s listening to earlier than a Senate Well being, Training, Labor, and Pensions Committee on U.S. costs for the burden loss medicine Ozempic and Wegovy, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., September 24, 2024.
Piroschka Van De Wouw | Reuters
In the meantime, each remedies can price as little as beneath $100 for a month’s provide in some European international locations, in keeping with a launch from the committee. Ozempic prices simply $59 in Germany, whereas Wegovy prices $92 within the U.Ok.
Sanders additionally stated final week that the CEOs of main generic pharmaceutical firms have informed him that they may promote a model of Ozempic for lower than $100 a month at a revenue. There are at present no generic alternate options to Ozempic obtainable within the U.S.
Main PBMs, together with UnitedHealth Group‘s Optum Rx and CVS‘ Caremark, and a few well being plans stated $100 month-to-month checklist costs for Wegovy and Ozempic would assist make these medicine extra broadly obtainable to sufferers, in keeping with a launch from Sanders.
That might undercut Jørgensen’s declare in his written testimony that PBMs are in charge for the excessive checklist costs of Novo Nordisk’s medicine and “train near-total management over the flexibility of a whole bunch of tens of millions of Individuals to get the medicines they want at reasonably priced costs.” The corporate has argued that it wants to have the ability to pay rebates to these middlemen to get their medicine on formularies, or lists of medicines lined by insurance coverage.
Jørgensen famous that the written guarantees that Sanders acquired from PBMs are “new info to me,” however stated he understands “that maybe the PBMs have modified their minds.”
Novo Nordisk has argued that it has spent billions to analysis, develop and increase manufacturing for the remedies and is funneling more cash into researching their potential to deal with different obesity-related well being circumstances. That funding has prolonged and improved the lives of tens of millions of Individuals, which helps scale back the health-care prices related to weight problems and diabetes, in keeping with written testimony from Jørgensen.
Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Jorgensen testifies earlier than a Senate Well being, Training, Labor, and Pensions Committee listening to on U.S. costs for the burden loss medicine Ozempic and Wegovy, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., September 24, 2024.
Piroschka Van De Wouw | Reuters
Through the listening to, Jørgensen stated the corporate has fought to safe private and non-private insurance coverage protection for the drugs.
He additionally partially blamed the “complicated U.S. healthcare system” for making it troublesome for sufferers to entry reasonably priced pharmaceuticals, noting that “no single firm alone can resolve such huge and complex coverage challenges.”
Jørgensen promised that Novo Nordisk will “stay engaged and work with this committee on coverage options to deal with the structural points that drive up prices.”
However Jørgensen contended that decreasing costs might have penalties, saying it might result in much less insurance coverage protection.
In his written testimony, Jørgensen stated Novo Nordisk’s insulin product Levemir was beforehand obtainable to 90% of U.S. sufferers via formularies. However insurers started to drop protection of the insulin after Novo Nordisk lower its checklist value, resulting in solely 36% of sufferers having entry.
That finally drove the corporate to discontinue the insulin, Jørgensen stated in his written testimony.
Sanders and different lawmakers, well being consultants and insurers have warned that the insatiable demand for Novo Nordisk’s medicine and related weight reduction and diabetes remedies from rival Eli Lilly might probably bankrupt the U.S. health-care system except costs drop.
Each drugmakers make GLP-1s, which mimic hormones produced within the intestine to tamp down an individual’s urge for food and regulate their blood sugar. Eli Lilly’s weight reduction injection Zepbound and diabetes drug Mounjaro equally price round $1,000 monthly earlier than insurance coverage and different rebates.
In a launch, the Senate Well being Committee stated it will price the U.S. $411 billion per 12 months if half of all Individuals took weight reduction medicine from Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. That is $5 billion greater than what Individuals spent on all pharmaceuticals in 2022.
Medicare spent $4.6 billion on Ozempic in 2022 alone, in keeping with well being coverage analysis group KFF.
Different insurers and employers have carried out strict necessities to manage weight reduction drug prices, or have dropped protection of these remedies altogether. Many well being plans cowl GLP-1s for diabetes, however not for weight reduction. The federal Medicare program would not pay for weight reduction remedies except they’re authorised and prescribed for an additional well being situation.
The listening to comes because the Biden administration and lawmakers on each side of the aisle attempt to rein in health-care prices within the U.S., partially by pressuring the pharmaceutical business and drug provide chain middlemen. On common, Individuals pay two to a few instances greater than sufferers in different developed nations for pharmaceuticals, in keeping with a reality sheet from the White Home.
Notably, Ozempic will probably be topic to the subsequent spherical of value negotiations between producers and Medicare — a key provision of President Joe Biden’s Inflation Discount Act that goals to decrease prices for seniors. Wall Road analysts say Ozempic will probably be eligible for negotiations by the point the subsequent spherical of medicine is chosen in 2025, for value modifications that may go into impact in 2027.
Lawmakers requested Novo Nordisk to decide to not suing the federal authorities if Ozempic and Wegovy are chosen for the subsequent spherical of negotiations.
Jørgensen didn’t explicitly make that dedication, noting that the corporate believes the talks are “not a good negotiation, however truly price-setting” that may have destructive penalties for drug innovation.
