According to CCTV Finance and Economics, on the 2nd local time, US President Biden and Senator Bernie Sanders published a commentary in the USA Today newspaper, shouting that Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk must significantly reduce the prices of Ozempic and Wegovy, which are used to treat diabetes and obesity. As of now, Novo Nordisk has not responded.
Biden pointed out in his article that tens of millions of Americans are fighting against type 2 diabetes and obesity. Novo Nordisk has developed Novo Tech and Novo Ying, which can effectively treat these diseases. However, the company has charged high prices to the American public, which may be several times higher than prices in Canada, Germany, Denmark, and other major countries. And not only Novo Nordisk, but also Lilly Pharmaceuticals charges unreasonably high prices for related drugs.
Biden cited a study by researchers at Yale University stating that the production cost of these drugs can be almost negligible compared to their high prices. For the treatment of obesity, American patients have to pay over $1000 per month for prescription drugs, and the production cost of medication per patient is less than $5 per month, and less than $57 per year, which is unacceptable.
Biden said that if half of obese adults in the United States take Novo and other weight loss pills, the total annual cost could reach $411 billion, which is $5 billion more than the cost of all prescription drugs purchased by Americans in pharmacies in 2022. If the prices of these drugs do not significantly decrease, they may bankrupt the US healthcare system.
As of the time of writing, the stock price of Novo Nordisk fell 1.427% to $140.94 per share before the US stock market.
On June 25th, the official website of Novo Nordisk announced that the National Medical Products Administration has recently approved the marketing application of its research and production of Novo Nordisk (Smegglutide Injection for long-term weight management) in China. Novo Nordisk states that this is the world's first and currently the only weekly preparation of glucagon like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1) used for long-term weight management.
It is reported that Novoying is suitable for long-term weight management of adult patients based on controlling diet and increasing physical activity. The initial body mass index (BMI) meets the following conditions: ≥ 30kg/m2 (obesity), or ≥ 27kg/m2 to< 30kg/m2 (overweight) with at least one weight related comorbidities, such as hyperglycemia, hypertension, dyslipidemia, obstructive sleep apnea, or cardiovascular disease. Nuoheying can achieve an average weight loss of 17% (16.8kg) and bring multiple health benefits to patients beyond weight loss, and its safety has been widely verified.
According to the Daily Economic News on June 25th, although approved for weight management, Novartis has strict usage guidelines. Users need an initial BMI of 30kg/m2 or higher (obesity); Or between 27kg/m2 and 30kg/m2 (overweight), with at least one weight related complication present, such as hyperglycemia, hypertension, dyslipidemia, obstructive sleep apnea, or cardiovascular disease.
In addition to Novotel, which was previously approved for marketing in patients with type 2 diabetes, Novotel now has two Smeaglutide preparations approved in China.
It should be noted that prior to the official approval of Novo Nordisk, some users in China had already used Smegglutide Injection for weight loss, which is a so-called "super indication" medication. Through e-commerce platforms and scalper channels, people who are not diabetes patients or even those who cannot meet the overweight and obesity standards can also buy smeglutide preparations. This phenomenon has brought many hidden dangers to drug safety, normal drug use by diabetes patients, and even the standardized use of medical insurance funds.
After the launch of Novartis Pharmaceuticals, the use of Smegglutide preparations for weight loss can be justified. Does this mean that the threshold for weight loss patients to purchase this medication is lower? Is Novo Nordisk prepared to standardize first-line clinical medication?
In this regard, Novo Nordisk stated in an interview with the Daily Economic News that in China, Novo Nordisk strictly follows the requirements of laws and regulations in the sales of prescription drugs, and only cooperates with contracted distributors with drug business qualifications. In daily operations, Novo Nordisk strictly manages its sales channels, conducts regular visits and audits of distributors, and strictly requires distributors to comply with laws and regulations in the distribution of drugs. Meanwhile, the company strictly prohibits non indication promotion.
At the same time, Novo Nordisk also reminded that the approved Novo Plus for long-term weight management of adults has not yet been launched, and Novo Plus, which has been launched in China for the treatment of adult type 2 diabetes, is a prescription drug. These two drugs are used separately to treat two diseases and cannot be substituted for each other. Prescription drugs must be prescribed or approved by the national health administrative department, and purchased with a prescription written by a physician or other medical professionals with prescription rights. They should be used reasonably under the guidance of a physician, pharmacist, or other qualified medical professionals. Patients must strictly follow the doctor's prescription and purchase medication through legitimate authorized channels to ensure the effectiveness and safety of their medication.