Bernie Sanders: Generic providers could offer diabetes drugs for less than $100 per month

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders announced that leading generic manufacturers have confirmed they can offer generic versions of Novo Nordisk's diabetes drug Ozempic for less than $100 per month. This statement comes at a critical moment as the CEO of Novo Nordisk, Lars Jorgensen, is set to testify before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, chaired by Sanders, next week. The hearing will focus on the pricing of Novo Nordisk's popular medications Ozempic and the weight-loss drug Wegovy in the United States. Sanders emphasized that he has held discussions with executives from several major generic manufacturers in recent months. They informed him that they could sell the same drug Novo Nordisk produces for less than $100 per month to Americans. However, Sanders did not disclose the names of the companies he spoke with and noted that Ozempic's patent in the U.S. does not expire until 2032. Ozempic, which contains the same active ingredient as Wegovy and is also used off-label for weight loss, belongs to the popular GLP-1 class, which has generated overwhelming demand in the U.S. Some analysts predict that the total market for weight loss drugs could reach $150 billion by the early 2030s. However, this high demand is under scrutiny from lawmakers due to the high costs associated with these medications. A month's supply of Novo Nordisk's Ozempic is listed at $935.77 on the company's website, while Wegovy is listed at $1,349.02 per month, although most consumers pay less.