Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk could produce its wildly popular weight-loss drug Ozempic for less than $5 a month. This is evident from a new study. A striking amount when you consider that a monthly treatment in the United States costs almost 1,000 dollars.
Novo Nordisk launched Ozempic last year as a medicine against type 2 diabetes, but when it turned out that it also caused weight loss, it became extremely popular as a slimming aid.
In our country, an Ozempic treatment costs about 100 euros per month. Also in other European countries, such as Germany and France, the price is between 80 and 100 euros. American patients, on the other hand, have to cough up much more for the drug. In the US, the price for a treatment can be as high as $935 per month. The reason? Most European countries negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies for lower prices, but this is prohibited in the US.
LOOK. Explained in 60 seconds: What is Ozempic?
Cheaper
But according to a new study – a collaboration between Yale University, Britain’s King’s College Hospital and Doctors Without Borders – Ozempic should actually be a lot cheaper.
The researchers relied on the costs of ingredients, packaging and logistics to calculate the potential price at which the company would make a profit. It showed that a month’s supply of Ozempic can be made for an amount between 89 cents and 4.73 dollars (about 4.38 euros). According to the study, a lower price would allow more diabetes patients to access Ozempic.
In a response, Novo Nordisk stated that the price for Ozempic in the US depends heavily on the patient’s insurer. For example, some patients with type 2 diabetes only pay $25 per month if their insurer covers Ozempic, the pharmaceutical company emphasizes.
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Tags: Americans pay euros month waste product Ozempic dollars Medical
