According to a study published in JAMA Network Open, Ozempic costing $1,000 could potentially be manufactured for as little as $1, with the manufacturing cost of a month’s supply of the medication ranging from 89 cents to $4.73.
According to a study published on Wednesday, the popular diabetic medication Ozempic could be produced for less than $5 per month, despite Novo Nordisk charging around $1,000 per month for the injection in the US without insurance.
Researchers at Yale University, King’s College Hospital in London, and the nonprofit organization Doctors Without Borders conducted this study, which adds to the controversy surrounding the high cost of the best-selling diabetes medication and other weight-loss medications that belong to a new class of medications known as GLP-1s.
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Even while more insurers are dropping such medications from their plans because of cost, which leaves some patients unable to purchase the treatments, demand for those medications has increased over the past year.
The study also follows years of political pressure on Novo Nordisk and other pharmaceutical companies to lower the exorbitant costs associated with diabetes care, particularly those related to insulin.
The study that was published in JAMA Network Open states that ozempic can typically be generated for less than different types of insulin.
Researchers discovered that the cost of manufacturing a month’s worth of the medication might range from 89 cents to $4.73. To generate those figures, which they refer to as “cost-based prices,” they assessed the weekly injection’s production costs, a profit margin, and a tax allowance.
The retail cost of a monthly Ozempic package from Novo Nordisk is $935.77, excluding of insurance and other incentives. The researchers stated that the results indicate that GLP-1s “can likely be manufactured for prices far below current prices, enabling wider access.”
Novo Nordisk refused to disclose the production costs for Wegovy, the weight-loss medication that is similar to Ozempic, in a statement on Wednesday. However, the Danish pharmaceutical company pointed out that it invested about $5 billion in R&D last year and plans to spend over $6 billion in a new agreement to increase production to fulfill the demand for GLP-1s.
It added that to guarantee that patients may obtain its drugs, 75% of its gross earnings are allocated to discounts and rebates.
The business added that a patient’s insurance coverage determines how much they must pay out-of-pocket for Ozempic. Patients who have access to a savings card and private or commercial coverage for Ozempic can spend as low as $25 for a one-, two-, or three-month supply of the medication for a maximum of 24 months.
According to an independent study conducted by the University of Liverpool and other academics, Wegovy may be manufactured for $40 per month.
According to a poll conducted by Evercore ISI this month, almost half of those taking GLP-1 reported paying $50 or less per month out of pocket. Approximately 75% of those who had previously taken one of the medicines claimed to have spent the same amount.