GLP-1 weight loss drugs are still far from cheap, but some of the prices keep dropping.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Novo Nordisk is now offering people who pay out of pocket a steep discount for select doses of Ozempic and Wegovy, the company said Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Until the end of March, Novo Nordisk will let people with prescriptions buy the two lowest doses for $199 a month for two months. After that, the drugs will cost $349 a month. The deal will be available through the Ozempic and Wegovy websites, where people can register for the discounts to use at pharmacies and through telehealth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The $199-per-month offer applies only to the lowest doses, the 0.25 mg and 0.5 mg injections. The $349 deal includes the 1 mg dose of Ozempic and all doses of Wegovy. Ozempic\u2019s maximum dose of 2 mg isn\u2019t part of the deal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Novo Nordisk executives weren\u2019t available for comment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Novo Nordisk\u2019s executive vice president of U.S. operations, Dave Moore, said in a news release: \u201cThe US healthcare system is complex, with different types of insurance and various ways for patients to obtain their medicines. Our new savings offers provide immediate impact, bringing forward greater cost savings for those who are currently without coverage or choose to self-pay.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The list prices for the diabetes drug Ozempic and the obesity drug Wegovy remain around $1,000 or more a month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Novo Nordisk\u2019s $199-a-month starter deal follows a discount offer the drugmaker struck with Costco last month to sell low doses of Ozempic and Wegovy for $499 a month out of pocket. Novo Nordisk has similar discounts through its direct-to-consumer website, CVS and Walmart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Donald Trump said this month that he was working with Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly to lower the monthly out-of-pocket cost of their GLP-1 weight loss drugs from as little as $50 for people on Medicare to around $350, depending on the dosage and insurance coverage. Lilly makes the weight loss drug Zepbound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
GLP-1 medications are highly sought after for their weight loss benefits, but demand has increased as they’ve also been shown to improve heart health, treat obstructive sleep apnea and reduce cancer mortality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to KFF, a nonpartisan research organization, almost 1 in 5 U.S. adults say they have taken a GLP-1 medication; 1 in 8 say they are currently taking one. Around a quarter of users say they have insurance but still pay for the whole cost of the medication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr. Shauna Levy, medical director of the Tulane Weight Loss Center, said the offer is \u201cgreat news\u201d and could broaden access for many patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLess than a quarter of the country has the commercial insurance that actually covers GLP-1s,\u201d Levy said. \u201cIf $500 per month is too expensive, then there\u2019s going to be a new category of patients that $350 a month is more affordable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stacie Dusetzina, professor of health policy at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said that the $199-per-month \u201cteaser rates\u201d may increase initial interest but that the return to $349 per month could force people off it. She said it would be a waste of money for little to no benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a smart sales strategy, but I\u2019m not sure it\u2019s a very good strategy for thinking about the health of people who are interested in taking these drugs and who could benefit from them,\u201d Dusetzina said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the deal may increase access for some, Dusetzina and Levy said may backfire for patients who rely on coverage through insurance. The number of employers covering GLP-1 medications for employees has increased since last year, according to KFF, but employers struggling with benefit costs may see lower cash prices as a way to cut back on spending for employees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf they\u2019re looking for places to cut, having a lot of focus and attention on these lower-cost cash-pay options could give employers an excuse,\u201d Dusetzina said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Levy said that GLP-1 medications aren\u2019t the only way to treat obesity and that other interventions, like bariatric surgery, are better covered by insurance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI do think this is, overall, a huge win for patients, because driving the price down increases access,\u201d Levy said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n