Joe Yates
People are questioning pharmaceutical companies after the manufacturer of Ozempic revealed it was slashing its price in half for some US citizens.
Novo Nordisk is selling the GLP-1 drug for $499 a month - down from $997.58, but that's just for people without insurance.
If you don't already know, the medication comes in the form of a weekly injection that works to lower your blood sugar levels by helping the pancreas in its job of producing insulin, and has been approved in the US back in 2017 for use in adults with type 2 diabetes.
It's important to note that Ozempic has not been approved for weight loss in America, although Wegovy - a GLP-1 drug that Novo Nordisk also manufacturers - has been and contains a greater dose of semaglutide.
Advert
Now, the fact that Novo Nordisk has revealed it will be cutting its price by $498.59 has outraged people on Twitter who have questioned the ethics around charging almost $1,000 in the first place.
"It's wild how pricing works in healthcare. same drug, different price depending on how you pay," wrote one disgruntled user.
Another boomed: "Half the price... I bet they are still going to make money hand over fist."
With a third typing: "Wow 500 bucks! What a bargain! Everybody can afford that! WTF?"
"When pharmaceutical companies can just cut their price by HALF, makes you wonder how they were charging twice as much in the first place," a fourth added.
Yes, those without insurance will have to fork out $499 per month - which is still an incredible saving compared to its previous listing.
But for Americans who have commercial or private insurance will need to pay as little as $25 - although that all depends on whether your insurance provider covers it.
The price of $499 for uninsured individuals is available at more than 70,000 pharmacies nationwide, after the pharmaceutical company collaborated with GoodRx - which is the leading platform for medication savings in the US.
"As a leader in the GLP-1 category, Novo Nordisk is taking a progressive approach to drive access and meet patients where they are," Novo Nordisk said in a statement to UNILAD.
"In accordance with this focus, beginning August 18, Novo Nordisk will support self-paying patients in the US with the costs of their medication, launching a self-pay offer for all doses of Ozempic, enabling patients without adequate insurance coverage to obtain this prescription-only medicine for $499 per month."