Ever since GLP-1 medications gained popularity for weight loss, there has been an ongoing conversation about cost. For many patients, the price has been steep, sometimes exceeding $1,000 per month without insurance coverage. However, a new announcement from manufacturer Novo Nordisk could significantly shift that landscape.
Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of the semaglutides Ozempic and Wegovy, has announced that the list price of Ozempic injections will be reduced by 35 percent, while both Wegovy injections and its newly-launched pill will see a 50 percent price cut. The changes will take effect January 1, 2027.
Though patients will have to wait until next year for the reductions to begin, the lower list prices could expand access for both current users and those previously unable to afford treatment.
“Lowering the list price of Wegovy and Ozempic is the best approach to address the unprecedented opportunity to help more than 100 million people living with obesity and over 35 million people with type 2 diabetes in the United States. Private and public payers, as well as patients, want access and have been calling for lower list prices,” Jamey Millar, executive vice president, U.S. Operations of Novo Nordisk, said in the statement.
According to Novo Nordisk, the price cuts will apply to all doses. The company’s semaglutide tablet, Rybelsus, will also see a reduction, bringing its new list price to $675 per month.
“The lower list price is intended to connect more people with our innovative medicines, specifically those whose out-of-pocket costs are linked to list price, such as individuals with high-deductible health plans or co-insurance benefit designs,” said Millar in the statement.
The announcement follows a dispute between Novo Nordisk and telehealth company Hims & Hers. After Novo Nordisk threatened legal action over a lower-cost alternative to the Wegovy pill, Hims & Hers pulled the product from the market.
Semaglutides are approved to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes, and certain formulations also carry indications related to cardiovascular risk reduction and chronic kidney disease.
