Novo Nordisk has halved the US price of Ozempic for people who cannot access it with health insurance and offered it for home delivery as the Trump administration pushes for lower drug prices and more direct sales.
Shares in the Danish pharma group rose 6 per cent after the company said it would cut the cost of a month’s supply of its blockbuster diabetes and weight-loss drug to $499 a month. Ozempic previously cost about $1,000 in the US for people without health insurance.
The price cut comes as Novo and its main weight loss drug rival, Eli Lilly of the US, have lost $252bn in market value this year because of worries about tariffs, price controls, fierce competition and the rise of copycat drugs.
The reduction will affect only a small proportion of US patients: Novo has previously said 98 per cent of people taking Ozempic get it on health insurance and pay $25 or less.
The company’s pharmacy division, NovoCare, will also offer Ozempic for home delivery for the first time. Direct-to-consumer drug sales have been a priority for the White House.
