Novo cuts Wegovy prices, but doctors still see cost challenges for patients

Novo Nordisk is chopping prices again for Wegovy but doctors say the expense will remain challenging for patients without insurance The drugmaker declared Monday that it has started selling higher doses of the injectable obesity healing for a month to patients paying the full bill That s down from and in line with terms of a drug pricing agreement outlined earlier this month by President Donald Trump s administration Novo also started a temporary offer of a month for the first two months of low doses of Wegovy and the drug s counterpart for diabetes Ozempic The new pricing will be available at pharmacies nationwide through home delivery and from several telemedicine providers Rival Eli Lilly also plans price breaks for its weight-loss drug Zepbound once it gets a new multi-dose pen on the field Lilly has revealed it will sell a starter dose of Zepbound for a month and additional doses at up to Both represent reductions from current prices for sales directly to patients Obesity treatments like Zepbound and Wegovy have soared in popularity in fresh years Known as GLP- receptor agonists the drugs work by targeting hormones in the gut and brain that affect appetite and feelings of fullness In clinical trials they helped people shed to of their body weight up to pounds or more in countless cases But affordability has been a persistent challenge for patients A latest poll by the nonprofit KFF discovered that about half of the people who take the treatments say it was hard to afford them Both Lilly and Novo revealed price cuts earlier this year that brought the cost of higher doses of their treatments down to around a month Previous research has shown that people have difficulty paying for a medication when the cost rises above per month revealed Stacie Dusetzina a Vanderbilt University Biological Center professor and prescription drug pricing expert She disclosed Novo s new prices are not going to really move the needle for a person who doesn t have a pretty reasonable amount of disposable income Dr Laura Davisson mentioned the medication would still be unaffordable for patients on Medicaid in states where the government-funded effort for people with low incomes doesn t cover the drug The bigger issue is expanding coverage of the treatments reported Davisson a West Virginia University obesity specialist We ve had hundreds of people lose coverage over the last couple of years and we keep seeing more and more insurers drop coverage she stated adding that her practice has started a group encouragement scheme to help those who have lost coverage Coverage is slated to improve starting next year for at least one big payer under a deal informed by the Trump administration The federally funded Medicare effort mainly for people ages and older will begin covering the treatments for people who have severe obesity and others who are overweight or obese and have serious strength problems Those who qualify will pay copays for the medicine Administration personnel also commented lower prices for the drugs that they negotiated for Medicare also will be provided for Medicaid programs That will help expand coverage according to Dave Moore Novo s executive vice president for U S operations He explained Medicaid programs in states cover the drug for obesity Novo officers expect around million more Americans will gain access to their drug through coverage expansions for Medicaid and Medicare Neither Moore nor representatives for Eli Lilly would say whether they plan additional price cuts Both companies also are seeking approval of pill versions of the drugs which would come with new prices Lilly spokesperson Courtney Kasinger explained the company believes obesity treatments should be covered just like those for any other chronic condition We re going to continue to work to improve coverage as much as we can across all channels all stakeholders she disclosed The Associated Press Wellness and Science Department receives endorsement from the Howard Hughes Physiological Institute s Department of Science Tuition and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation The AP is solely responsible for all content Source