Novo Nordisk is introducing a direct-to-patient delivery option for its flagship weight loss drug Wegovy (semaglutide), slashing the price of the drug for cash-paying patients without insurance coverage.
The Danish drugmaker has launched a new online pharmacy called NovoCare Pharmacy to cut out the middlemen it so frequently opposes.
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Novo is slashing the cost for all doses of its glucagon-like peptide-receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) to $499 per month, a hefty discount to the current list price of $1,349.
NovoCare Pharmacy will work with CenterWell Pharmacy to give patients prescribed Wegovy an option to have the medication shipped directly to their home. Novo’s executive vice president of US operations and global business development Dave Moore said over 55 million people in the US have coverage for weight management medicines, commenting that the vast majority of Wegovy-insured patients pay $0 to $25 a month.
Along with home delivery, the online platform also aids patients with benefit verification, refill reminders, and access to live support. The current savings model for Wegovy via NovoCare will also be updated in the near future for patients who use traditional retail pharmacies, Novo stated.
Moore said that the new option “provides convenient access to all doses of real, FDA-approved Wegovy at a reduced cost in our high-quality pen”.
The launch of NovoCare is a direct counter to fend off the boom in popularity of compounding pharmacies. Many patients seeking GLP-1RAs turned to compound pharmacies as demand for drugs far outpaced supply, leading to shortages.
Novo has been vocal in highlighting the safety risks of compounded semaglutide, pointing to the fact the drugs are not US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulated.
FDA-approved drugs can be compounded under certain conditions such as if the original approved drug is in shortage and unavailable. Compounding pharmacies still follow a strict set of regulations and standards.
Compounders offer their versions of semaglutide at a cheaper price than Wegovy and, with many sellers operating online, found a way to cater to patient needs through home-delivery options.
“NovoCare Pharmacy offers patients access to authentic, FDA-approved Wegovy, helping to avoid the significant risks that can be posed by the compounding marketplace, as warned by respected organizations, experts in the medical community, and the FDA,” the company said in a statement.
By cutting the price of its flagship product and offering a direct channel to patients, Novo has followed suit of its obesity market rival Eli Lilly. Lilly last week cut the price of higher-dose vials of weight loss drug Zepbound (tirzepatide) by nearly 23% for self-paying patients through its online pharmacy LillyDirect.
Market pressures from the compounding sector will soon alleviate for Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, however. With the shortages for semaglutide and tirzepatide now over, compounders are no longer permitted to make their own versions of the weight loss drugs. Some pharmacies have filed a lawsuit against the FDA however claiming that the shortage still persists.
