Why Are U. S. Weight Loss Drug Prices So High?

Lawmakers have been questioning Novo Nordisk, the company behind popular weight loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy. The Senate wants to know why these medications are priced so much higher in the U. S. compared to other countries. For example, Americans with diabetes pay $969 per month for Ozempic, while Canadians pay just $155. The CEO of Novo Nordisk, Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, blames the U. S. healthcare system and insurance companies for this price difference. He says that if a drug has a low list price, it might not be covered by insurers. But Sanders pointed out that some pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) agreed to keep these drugs available even if Novo Nordisk lowers the cost. The CEO still has doubts because they had problems with lowering insulin prices before. Many people struggle to afford these weight loss drugs, and a study suggests they could be made cheaper.