Ozempic's price could be next on the negotiating table in the US

Reuters reports that Novo Nordisk's top-selling diabetes drug Ozempic may be among the drugs included in the next price negotiations to secure lower prices for the U.S. government.

One of the Democrats' major victories, which President Joe Biden and presidential candidate Kamala Harris have celebrated extensively in recent weeks, is the news that the government has succeeded in reducing the price of a number of drugs, including insulin, which is currently set at $35.

These agreements mean that statutory health insurers can save $6 billion annually starting in 2026, when the new prices come into effect.

But it won't stop at the first ten drugs, as 15 more are soon to follow. And Ozempic, a hugely popular drug from Novo Nordisk for type 2 diabetes, is one of the favorites for the next list for price negotiations, according to Wall Street analysts.

The list of 15 potential drugs will be published in February next year, followed by negotiations and the expected lower prices to come into effect from 2027.

However, the effects of the new regulation appear to be less in reality than on paper. This is because the negotiated discounts, which range between 38 and 79 percent for the first ten drugs, are based on the gross prices and not on the prices that health insurance companies, pharmacies and patients actually pay.

“You're not going to see a big impact, especially on products that are heavily discounted, and that's most of them,” Evan Seigerman, an analyst at BMO Capital Markets, told Reuters.

Novo Nordisk has previously stated that its actual price in the US is 60% of the list price.

In 2026, 15 additional drugs will be selected for price negotiations, and thereafter 20 new drugs will be selected each year.

The active ingredient in Ozempic is semaglutide, which is also the main ingredient in the obesity drug Wegovy.

English translation: Catherine Brett