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COPENHAGEN/LONDON (REUTERS)
Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk is launching its once-daily Wegovy pill in the United States on Monday, offering 1.5 milligram (mg) and 4 mg doses at $149 per month for self-paying patients in an intensely competitive weight-loss drug market.
The pill was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration last month, a boon to Novo Nordisk as it looks to regain ground lost to US rival Eli Lilly. Lilly has previously said it expects a decision in March.
Novo's pill will also be sold in 9 mg and a higher long-term dose of 25 mg. The two higher doses will be priced at $299 for a month's supply, while the 4 mg dose will rise to $199 from April 15, the drugmaker's website shows.
The Wegovy pill could attract new consumers as Novo looks to revive its fortunes after profit warnings and sliding shares last year. The treatment offers more flexibility and an alternative for those who dislike needles used in injectable medication.
The once-daily pill is also under review by other regulators, with a UK decision due by year-end.
Shares of the Danish drugmaker rose 3% in afternoon trading. Lilly shares fell about 1% in U.S. premarket trading.
LURING CASH CUSTOMERS KEY TO PILL'S SUCCESS
The success of Novo's pill will be tied to attracting cash-paying consumers who cannot get insurance coverage, a stark shift from the dominant business model where drug pricing is managed through health insurance plans.
Novo said the treatment would be available through US pharmacies CVS and Costco, and through telehealth providers including Ro, LifeMD, WeightWatchers, GoodRx and its own NovoCare Pharmacy.
The low 1.5 mg dose is the starter dose for the Wegovy pill, which is made up of semaglutide, the same active ingredient found in its blockbuster injectable weight loss and diabetes treatments marketed under the brand names Wegovy and Ozempic.
Novo also offers the 1.5 mg dose for its oral semaglutide drug for type 2 diabetes, sold as Rybelsus.
The remaining doses of the Wegovy pill will be available for patients by end of this week, Novo said.
Lilly plans to cap higher doses of its obesity pill, if approved, at $399 a month for repeat cash buyers. Lilly's injectable drug Zepbound has largely been ahead of Novo's Wegovy in weekly US prescriptions over the past year.
TRUMP LOOKS TO LOWER OBESITY DRUG PRICES
Under a deal with US President Donald Trump, Novo and Lilly also agreed to offer starter doses of their weight-loss pills at $149 per month for Medicare and Medicaid enrollees, and to cash payers via the White House's new direct-to-consumer TrumpRx site, which is expected to be launched this month.
