US Senator Bernie Sanders has announced that the CEO of Danish drug company Novo Nordisk will testify on the high cost of the weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy.
Lars Jørgensen will appear on a solo panel before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) in September, according to a press release.
The hearing will focus on what was described in the press release as the “outrageously high cost” of the drugs, which have soared in popularity over the last year.
Sanders thanked the CEO for volunteering to testify and said a vote on whether to subpoena Novo Nordisk to answer questions about the drugs’ pricing would be canceled.
“The American people are sick and tired of paying, by far, the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs,” Sanders continued. “Novo Nordisk currently charges Americans with Type 2 diabetes $969 a month for Ozempic, while this same exact drug can be purchased for just $155 in Canada and just $59 in Germany.”
“Novo Nordisk also charges Americans with obesity $1,349 a month for Wegovy, while this same exact product can be purchased for just $140 in Germany and $92 in the United Kingdom,” he went on. “The Committee looks forward to Mr. Jørgensen explaining why Americans are paying up to ten or 15 times more for these medications than people in other countries.”
Sanders had previously written to Jørgensen in April to inform him that HELP was investigating the costs of Ozempic and Wegovy.
He said those involved in the development of the drugs deserved “great credit” and that they could be a “game changer” for US citizens dealing with obesity or diabetes. But he noted that the drugs were unaffordable to many, despite studies suggesting that they are priced far higher than their production costs.
An investigative analysis published in JAMA Network Open found that supplies of drugs like semaglutide — the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy that helps people feel full by mimicking the hormone GLP-1 — could cost less than a dollar to produce.
Novo Nordisk issued a response to Sanders in May, claiming it retained around 60% of the list price of Ozempic and Wegovy in the US after rebates and fees paid to middlemen, Bloomberg reported.
The company said it was prepared to work with lawmakers to tackle “systemic issues so that everyone who can benefit from its medicines is able to get them.” It noted that it expected net prices of the drugs to continue to fall.
Earlier this week, a top UK doctor warned people against using drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy to get “beach body ready” for summer.
Speaking at the National Health Service (NHS) Confederation conference, NHS England medical director Stephen Powis said: “We know these new drugs will be a powerful part of our arsenal dealing with obesity, but they should not be abused. Buying medication online without a doctor’s supervision can lead to complications and dangerous consequences.”
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