Chuck Darwin<p>When one year’s sales matches a full three decade research budget, <br><a href="https://c.im/tags/price" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>price</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/gouging" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>gouging</span></a> is clearly afoot. </p><p>And that’s the case for Novo Nordisk A/S, <br>-- maker of sister GLP-1 drugs <a href="https://c.im/tags/Ozempic" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Ozempic</span></a> (type 2 diabetes, T2D) <br>and <a href="https://c.im/tags/Wegovy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>Wegovy</span></a> (obesity).</p><p>In September, Bloomberg estimated that the two drugs would bring in $65 billion in sales by the end of 2024. </p><p>The entire research budget for the past three decades is $68 billion, with the company stating that its R&D budget for 2023 was only $5 billion or about 7% of sales in 2024.</p><p>News reports note that Novo Nordisk charges US patients about $1,000 per month for Ozempic <br>and almost $1,400 for Wegovy. </p><p>Currently, insurance provides coverage when described for T2D but not obesity. </p><p>Given that obesity is a risk factor for T2D, this decision seems shortsighted; but that’s for another day.</p><p>In its home country of Denmark, Novo Nordisk reduced the price for Ozempic under governmental pressure by a third. </p><p>It’s now costs the government $130 a month in Denmark for patients with T2D. </p><p>Wegovy is not covered by the state health care plane and would cost Denmark patients $365 out of pocket per month.</p><p>Ozempic price in Germany? -- $92 a month.</p><p>💥That’s 10-fold price premium for Ozempic in the US when compared with Germany.</p><p>👉Yet researchers estimate that Ozempic could be produced for $5 a month, or less, including a profit margin.</p><p>⚠️This is an oligopolistic market, and as such it should be regulated. </p><p>Three firms — Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, and Sanofi — “control more than more than 90% of the global insulin market.” </p><p>These GLP-1 drugs fall into the insulin market due to their impact on diabetes; </p><p>many patients are able to reduce or stop insulin when taking Ozempic<br><a href="https://themoderatevoice.com/past-time-to-regulate-big-pharma-novo-nordisk-profits-in-2024-are-obscene/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">themoderatevoice.com/past-time</span><span class="invisible">-to-regulate-big-pharma-novo-nordisk-profits-in-2024-are-obscene/</span></a></p>