Novo Nordisk’s head, Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, assured he would consider a reduction in the prices of its highly popular Ozempic and Wegovy for this growing U.S. concern over affordability.
The discussion was led by Senator Bernie Sanders who called for a pricing decrease set par with the rest of the world.
Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, the CEO of Novo Nordisk, promised to meet with pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) to address the exorbitant costs of Ozempic and Wegovy, two commonly used medications for diabetes and weight loss, during a heated Senate session.
The hearing’s chairman, Senator Bernie Sanders, pushed Jørgensen to cut costs, emphasizing that Americans spend much more on these drugs than people in other nations.
Sanders retaliated against Jørgensen’s assertion that PBMs were to blame for the high prices and that reduced prices would restrict access.
He referenced pledges made by significant PBMs, such as UnitedHealth’s Optum Rx and CVS Health’s Caremark, promising not to remove the medications from their formularies in the event that costs were lowered.
The difference in price is remarkable: Americans pay more than $1,300 a month for Wegovy, whereas the UK only pays $92. Jørgensen ultimately consented to have talks that might result in patients in the United States having more cheap access, despite his worries regarding pricing difficulties.
Still, the pharmaceutical sector maintains that price cuts might impede innovation in the future.
