Novo Nordisk slashes cost of weight-loss drugs for cash-paying customers in the US

Americans are getting cheaper access to Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster weight-loss drugs.

The company announced Monday that cash-paying patients can get the diabetes/weight-loss drug Ozempic for $499 per month (half its list price) through its NovoCare direct-to-consumer platform. It’s also working with GoodRx to make both Ozempic and Wegovy available at pharmacies across the US at the same price.

Novo Nordisk shares are up about 4% on the heels of this news as well as a separate announcement on Friday that Wegovy has been approved by the US FDA to treat a liver condition.

Shares of GoodRx are up more than 30%, on track for their biggest daily gain since July 2023.

Dave Moore, executive vice president of Novo’s US operations, seemingly took direct aim at copycat versions of these treatments in a press release, echoing sentiments he shared in the wake of the dissolution of the company’s deal with Hims & Hers.

“While Ozempic is well covered in the US, let’s not forget that there are some patients who pay out-of-pocket for this vital medicine,” he said. “We believe that if even a single patient feels the need to turn to potentially unsafe and unapproved knockoff alternatives, that’s one too many.”