Bernie Sanders calls vote to subpoena Novo Nordisk U.S. head over Ozempic, Wegovy prices

Sanders successfully ran a similar playbook on executives from Merck and Johnson & Johnson earlier this year. Under the threat of subpoena, the company CEOs agreed to testify at a hearing on why companies charge more for medicines in the United States than abroad before the subpoena vote actually happened.

This move is the latest maneuver in Sanders’ boldest pressure campaign yet to browbeat companies into lowering patients’ drug costs. Unlike other targets of Sanders’ ire that were drugs based on decades-old technology or developed in part with federal funding, Novo’s weight loss medicines in particular are innovative, effective, and wildly popular.

This is what fighting for people looks like.

The this shit is under $90 usd in many nations. US is like $1000 to $1500, and many insurers won’t cover it.

Holy shit. I didn’t know that that the situation. It’s so American.
- US healthcare is extortion.
I don't believe it's actually $90 anywhere, that must be because of some sort of subsidy.
In Denmark where Novo resides, the price is $200+ for the lowest dose. And Denmark allows parallel import if it can be bought cheaper elsewhere.
USA has a very different market, with extreme penalties in case something goes wrong, that mandates higher self insurance, and sales channels that are almost built for abuse by almost everybody. I seriously doubt Novo makes 6 times more on Wegovy than they do elsewhere. The problem is in the American system.
That said, I agree with Bernie Sanders that there's a problem that needs to be fixed.
EDIT: $200 is for 4 doses enough for 4 weeks.
I bet the insane prices in USA, are mostly due to insurance companies and whole-sellers exploiting the lack of structure and regulation in the US system. Novo cannot take more that those are willing to pay, and if insurance chooses not to cover Wegovy, Novo sells nothing through that company. Insurance companies are in control more than anybody in USA.
- If the prices are as legitimate as you suggest then surely that will be easily revealed by the subpoena'd accounting books and Novo Nordisk will be cleared of suspicion. Wouldn't that be the system working as intended?

Bernie must have watched South Park.

My ex takes a related medicine for diabetes. It supposedly isn’t useful for weight loss and it is a more reasonable price. However because it’s a related medicine, people are using it for weight loss anyway. Our pharmacy warned us they can’t predictably get more because there’s been a run on it.

I'm pretty sure this is happening with ADHD meds too.

If the pharmacy companies and insurers weren't sleeping together then the insurers might be doing some kind of collective bargaining. But nope.

It's very fair, Wegovy is more expensive in USA, because Americans are fatter.

Edit:
Sorry, my mistake. It's of course because USA has the best healthcare system in the world.
Except for the people who need it of course.

I’m ok with it being expensive for non-diabetes cases because we do NOT want people using this for weight loss. There are already issues with intestinal linings weakening and other complications.

Folks: there’s no shortcut to losing weight.

Edit: overly simplified. It’s not just for diabetes but my larger point is legitimate medical cases. This of course includes some cases of obesity, and I’m glad it’s helped folks who need it.

You do realize that’s exactly what Wegovy is, right? Ozempic was being prescribed off-label for weight loss so much, it was severely impacting supply for diabetics who needed it to manage their diabetes. They put the drug through a second round of FDA testing to get approval as a weight loss drug.
And, as someone taking Wegovy for weight loss… it’s no shortcut. It absolutely makes it easier to control your appetite but the side effects are non-trivial. I’ve struggled with my weight my entire life and I feel lucky I wasn’t heavier when I started, but before this I’ve been anywhere between 235 and 320 up and down for the last 15 years. This medication makes me feel, finally, like I’ve got a shot at losing the weight and getting it to a safe level.
Now… if you’re talking about the people who want to take it for 2 months to lose some vanity weight before beach season… I absolutely agree.
- I am specifically talking about the massive surge in people using it to shed vanity weight. I completely agree it has legitimate weight management uses and I’m glad it’s helped you.
- How did you approach your doctor about it? I'm in the same boat.
  I've been thinking about getting it but I didn't want to rush in case there are side affects they find out about.
You need to read Magic Pill by Johann Hari. There are pros and cons and he is very good at explaining both sides.
Not sure why you’re being downvoted so much, it’s an interesting point. If you make it too cheap and it has a lot of side effects, you are t really saving anyone money. You’re not even improving their health in the long run.
That being said, I have no idea how bad the long term effects are.
- Except it does seem rather odd to keep a medicine from people whose lives it could save (obesity causes a lot more problems than diabetes), because someone somewhere might try to abuse it. Frankly, if you want to voluntarily abuse a drug, great. My interest is in relieving the suffering caused by obesity, not protecting people from the Darwin awards.
  Imagine saying that “insulin should be expensive because some people use it for suicide and it has side-effects.”
- Hey mods, the above comment was plenty "civil".
  You're turning this place into the same type of baby proof bull crap the other place became.