GLP-1 weight loss drugs are still far from cheap, but some of the prices keep dropping.
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.
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.
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’s maximum dose of 2 mg isn’t part of the deal.
Novo Nordisk executives weren’t available for comment.
Novo Nordisk’s executive vice president of U.S. operations, Dave Moore, said in a news release: “The 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.”
The list prices for the diabetes drug Ozempic and the obesity drug Wegovy remain around $1,000 or more a month.
Novo Nordisk’s $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.
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.
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.
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.
Dr. Shauna Levy, medical director of the Tulane Weight Loss Center, said the offer is “great news” and could broaden access for many patients.
“Less than a quarter of the country has the commercial insurance that actually covers GLP-1s,” Levy said. “If $500 per month is too expensive, then there’s going to be a new category of patients that $350 a month is more affordable.”
Stacie Dusetzina, professor of health policy at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said that the $199-per-month “teaser rates” 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.
“It’s a smart sales strategy, but I’m not sure it’s a very good strategy for thinking about the health of people who are interested in taking these drugs and who could benefit from them,” Dusetzina said.
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.
“If they’re looking for places to cut, having a lot of focus and attention on these lower-cost cash-pay options could give employers an excuse,” Dusetzina said.
Levy said that GLP-1 medications aren’t the only way to treat obesity and that other interventions, like bariatric surgery, are better covered by insurance.
“I do think this is, overall, a huge win for patients, because driving the price down increases access,” Levy said.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
