Novo Nordisk has revealed that they retain only about 60% of the list price for their diabetes and obesity drugs, Ozempic and Wegovy, after rebates and fees paid to intermediaries in the United States. This information was disclosed in a letter to Senator Bernie Sanders amid an investigation by a U.S. Senate committee into the higher prices of these drugs compared to other countries. According to Bloomberg, this communication from the Danish pharmaceutical company emphasized that a portion of the list price is allocated to middlemen within the complex U.S. healthcare system.
Novo Nordisk’s GLP-1s are projected to generate around $150 billion in revenue in the U.S. market by early 2030s. A 2 milligram dose of Ozempic is priced at $935.77 in the United States, while Wegovy has a list price of $1,349 per package on Novo Nordisk’s website. The company expects further reductions in net prices for both Ozempic and Wegovy under current market conditions despite ongoing probe and concerns raised by Senator Sanders regarding pricing of Wegovy.
The complexity of pricing structures within the U.S healthcare system highlights how challenging it is to provide more affordable medications to consumers despite Novo Nordisk’s acknowledgement that funds are allocated to intermediaries, shedding light on some of the challenges faced by patients trying to access affordable healthcare options through prescription medication therapy programs (PMPT).
