The US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions announced on June 14th that Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen, CEO of Novo Nordisk, has agreed to voluntarily attend a hearing that will focus on why the price of GLP-1 drug company Megglutide in the United States is so high.
At present, the monthly treatment cost of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy weight-loss drug Smegglutide in the United States is as high as $1349, while the monthly treatment costs in Germany and the United Kingdom are $140 and $92, respectively. This means that American patients need to bear the price of these drugs 10 to 15 times that of European patients.
Last month, Zhou Fude told reporters at a global media conference that the differences in drug pricing are caused by the differences in healthcare systems in different countries. When discussing whether GLP-1 drugs will be reduced in price with the entry of more competitors in the future, he said, "The price reduction of drugs is mainly achieved in different markets through medical insurance negotiations with the paying party, based on the value of the drugs, and reaching an agreement with the paying party on the price."
With the expansion of indications for Smegglutide, more indications beyond weight loss are expected to be covered by insurance, which is also a hot topic being actively evaluated by the US healthcare system.
The hearing is expected to be held in early September, during which Novo Nordisk will reveal more details about the pricing of drugs in different markets.
In China, the drug "Novotel", which is used by Novo Nordisk and Megglutide for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, has entered the medical insurance. The cost of 3ml dose is less than 800 yuan, which can be used for at least one month, about 100 dollars per month, and is in a lower price range globally.
As the patent for Smegglutide is about to expire in 2026, at least ten Chinese generic drugs are currently in the clinical stage. This week, New Beijiang Pharmaceutical, a subsidiary of Lizhu Group Holdings, became the second Chinese pharmaceutical enterprise to obtain the approval and acceptance of smeglutide diabetes generic drug from the State Food and Drug Administration.
In April of this year, Hangzhou Jiuyuan Genetic Engineering Co., Ltd. submitted an application for the listing of Simeglutide injection "Jiyoutai", which was accepted; Shijiazhuang Pharmaceutical Group also said last month that it is expected that Smeaglutide, which is used to treat diabetes, will be approved in 2026.
At present, specific clinical data for these generic drugs have not been released, but some companies have completed phase III clinical trials. Lizhu Group stated that it has invested over 140 million yuan in the drug development of Smegglutide.
Last year, the sales of Novo Nordisk's Novo Nordisk in China more than doubled, reaching 4.8 billion Danish kroner (approximately 700 million US dollars), accounting for 5% of the total global sales of the drug. The company told China Business News that it is seeking the approval of the weight loss indication of Smeglutide in Chinese Mainland and is expected to be listed later this year.
Karan Verma, medical research and data analyst of Clarivate, an information service provider, said in a report that Smeaglutide has achieved unprecedented success in Chinese Mainland. With the patent expiration approaching, Chinese pharmaceutical companies are accelerating to seize the generic drug market.
Analysts also say that if these generic drug products are proven to be as safe and effective as Novo Nordisk's Smegglutide drug, they will increase competition and lower overall market prices. Goldman Sachs analysts estimated in a report last year that generic drugs could lead to a decrease of about 25% in the price of Smegglutide in China.