Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel joins ‘Varney & Co.’ to discuss the mounting cost of Obamacare subsidies and a new study suggesting weight loss drugs could dull alcohol’s effects.
President Donald Trump on Thursday announced deals with pharmaceutical giants Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly that would cut the cost of the lowest doses of their in-demand weight-loss drugs, lowering the barrier for new patients to access treatment.
Under the plan, Novo Nordisk said the lowest doses of Wegovy will cost $149 for a month’s supply, if approved, and will extend across all the company’s direct-to-patient offerings. The company also confirmed plans to lower prices for its injectable drugs, including Wegovy and Ozempic, under Medicare Part D, Medicaid and self-pay channels. Novo Nordisk said it is reviewing its U.S. self-pay pricing and expects to announce updated offers for Wegovy and Ozempic in the coming weeks.
Trump called the deals “a triumph for American patients that will save lives and improve the health of millions and millions of Americans.”
For self-pay patients, Lilly said it will offer Zepbound starting at $299 for the lowest dose and up to $449 for higher doses – roughly $50 below current direct-to-patient prices and comparable to prices in Europe through the company’s digital pharmacy platform, LillyDirect. Orforglipron, Lilly’s once-daily oral obesity pill that is still awaiting federal approval, will also start at $149 for the lowest dose. Medicare beneficiaries will pay no more than $50 per month for Zepbound and Orforglipron.
Additional drugs, including Emgality, Trulicity and Mounjaro, will be added to LillyDirect at 50% to 60% off current list prices.
WEGOVY, OZEMPIC: THE BARRIERS TO ACCESSING THESE WEIGHT LOSS DRUGS
An injection pen of Zepbound, Eli Lilly’s weight-loss drug, is displayed in New York City, on Dec. 11, 2023. (Reuters/Brendan McDermid / Reuters Photos)
GLP-1 medications work by mimicking natural hormone pathways in the body to help regulate appetite, increase feelings of fullness and improve blood sugar control. They were originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes, but in recent years have become FDA-approved specifically for obesity under certain brand names like Wegovy and Zepbound.
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The medications have been hard to attain, largely because of inadequate insurance coverage and steep out-of-pocket costs. There have also been supply constraints as off-label demand for weight-loss use exploded. Patients, including high-profile figures, were turning to Ozempic and Mounjaro for weight loss.
Packages of the weight-loss drug Wegovy from the pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk lie on the sales counter in a Danish pharmacy. The drug, which has caused quite a stir, is due to be launched on the German market at the end of July 2023. (Steffen Trumpf/picture alliance via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Both companies have previously told FOX Business that they have been engaged in discussions with the administration to increase affordability and expand patient access to their drugs, aligning with the administration’s Most Favored Nation executive order which seeks to lower drug prices in the U.S.
In the meantime, both companies have already launched their own direct-to-consumer platforms aimed at expanding patient access by limiting the barriers new patients face.
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Novo Nordisk launched its platform, NovoCarePharmacy, in March, allowing patients who couldn’t afford the standard list price or lacked insurance coverage for its highly coveted drugs Wegovy and Ozempic.
Still life of Victoza and Wegovy. Both are injectable prescription weight loss medicines. (Michael Siluk/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Lilly’s platform, LillyDirect, which launched in early 2024, allows some consumers who lack insurance or who are insured or lack adequate coverage to access Zepbound and Mounjaro directly from Eli Lilly without going through insurance.
