Price cuts to help people living with obesity and Type 2 diabetes will take effect on Jan. 1, 2027, company says.
Global pharmaceutical firm Novo Nordisk on Feb. 24 announced that as of Jan. 1, 2027, it will lower the list price, or wholesale acquisition cost, for its popular weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy by up to 50 percent.
This will include Wegovy (semaglutide) 2.4 injections and 25 mg tablets, Ozempic (semaglutide) 0.5 mg, 1 mg, and 2 mg injections, and Rybelsus (semaglutide) 7 mg or 14 mg tablets to $675—equating to a reduction of nearly 50 percent for Wegovy and 35 percent of Ozempic from the current list prices.
“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,” Jamey Millar, Novo Nordisk executive vice president of U.S. operations said in the announcement.
“Private and public payers, as well as patients, want access and have been calling for lower list prices. Our actions today answer that call and remove cost barriers so the value of Wegovy and Ozempic can be realized by more patients.”
Millar said that the lower list price will help to connect more people whose out-of-pocket costs are linked to the list price.
According to the drug manufacturer, semaglutide is the active ingredient in both Ozempic and Wegovy, and both are considered GLP-1s, or glucagon-like peptides. These hormones are produced naturally within the body and regulate blood sugar, as well as suppress appetite and promote fullness. GLP-1s are typically used in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes and obesity.
In addition to GLP-1s, Ozempic and Wegovy contain FDA-approved medicines with indications for adults with Type 2 diabetes, obesity, chronic kidney disease, and co-morbid cardiovascular disease.
“Through this action to lower list prices, Novo Nordisk seeks to improve access to these medicines for even more patients and is the latest in a series of efforts from Novo Nordisk, making it easier and more affordable for people in the U.S. to get authentic, FDA-approved Wegovy and Ozempic in the way that best fits their lives,” the announcement stated.
By Mary Prenon
