On Monday local time, US Senator Bernie Sanders wrote a letter to Politburo, one of the largest newspapers in Nordic countries, urging Denmark to pressure the well-known pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk to lower drug prices.
In the letter, the chairman of the US Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee called on Danes to pressure Novo Nordisk to significantly reduce the "outrageously high prices" of GLP-1 drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic.
Sanders himself strongly demanded a price reduction from Novo Nordisk and raised a series of cost and manufacturing issues with the pharmaceutical company.
Sanders expressed admiration for Denmark's welfare system and pointed out that Novo Nordisk charges Ozempic about ten times more in the United States than in European countries. "Please help the American people deal with the health crises we face, such as obesity and diabetes."
Unable to afford it
It is reported that in the US market, the price of a single box of Ozempic, a diabetes treatment drug, is close to $969 this year (up 3.5% from last year), while the price of Wegovy, a weight loss drug, is $1349.
A survey released last week by the Kaiser Family Foundation, a non-profit organization in the United States, showed that approximately one eighth of American adults have taken GLP-1 drugs to treat weight loss and related illnesses.
The survey also shows that these drugs are becoming increasingly popular, and although manufacturers such as Novo Nordisk are doing their best to increase supply, these drugs have been facing intermittent shortages over the past year.
However, affordability remains a challenge, and spending $1000 per month is indeed too expensive. Approximately 54% of people taking GLP-1 medication find it difficult to afford even with insurance.
For most Americans, the actual price they pay for their medication depends on their healthcare insurance policies, rather than the prices listed by pharmaceutical companies. However, many medical insurance providers are unwilling to cover GLP-1 drugs, and state public medical assistance in the United States does not reimburse weight loss, but many states support the use of Ozempic to treat diabetes.
Initiate an investigation
In fact, after calling for a price reduction in Novo Nordisk earlier was ineffective, Sanders' Senate Health Committee had already launched an investigation into Novo Nordisk's pricing at the end of April.
Sanders previously sent a message to the CEO of Cignano and Nordisk, saying that the drugs developed by the company are highly commendable and may change the public health crisis facing the United States, that is, the widespread prevalence of obesity and diabetes.
The letter also mentioned, "Although these drugs are important, they have no benefits for millions of patients who cannot afford them. In addition, if the prices of these drugs do not significantly decrease, they may also bankrupt the entire healthcare system in the United States."
Sanders asked Novo Nordisk to answer whether they would "significantly reduce" the prices of these drugs and provide information on how much money was earned from selling these drugs, how much money was spent on research and development, and how they were priced.
In addition, Sanders pointed out that the single box production cost of drugs such as Ozempic is less than $5, and there are pricing issues with drugs in the United States. Ozempic is priced close to $969 in the United States, $155 in Canada, and $59 in Germany. Wegovy is priced at $1349 in the US, $140 in Germany, and $92 in the UK.
Novo Nordisk responded by stating that the company agrees with Sanders' view that obtaining medication is important for patients. And it stated that the company is still committed to working with policy makers to promote solutions and support all patients to have access to and afford medication.