In Novo pricing probe, Sanders cranks up the heat with dire warning on projected GLP-1 spending
By Zoey BeckerMay 16, 2024 7:05am
After recently placing a spotlight on Novo Nordisk’s "outrageous" U.S. pricing for GLP-1 drugs, Sen. Bernie Sanders is doubling down on his cost fighting crusade. This time, the senator is flagging budgetary concerns related to the GLP-1 class of diabetes and obesity medicines.
In a new report (PDF), the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee claims high GLP-1 drug prices, coupled with high uptake, could "bankrupt our entire health care system."
Sen. Sanders, a frequent pharma critic, chairs the committee. In a statement, the senator said the "unjustifiably high prices of these weight loss drugs could also cause a massive spike in prescription drug spending that could lead to an historic increase in premiums for Medicare and everyone who has health insurance."
SNIP
The report claims that if half of the U.S.' adults with obesity start taking Wegovy or similar drugs, total spending on the meds could outpace what Americans spent on all retail prescription drugs in 2022, or $411 billion. Medicare and Medicaid, meanwhile, could end up spending $166 billion annually on weight loss drugs, according to the HELP Committee's analysis.
https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/sanders-claims-novo-nordisks-wegovy-ozempic-pricing-could-bankrupt-us-healthcare-system-new