Novo Nordisk CEO to Testify in U.S. Senate Hearing on High Cost of Ozempic, Wegovy
(Reuters) – The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions announced on Friday that Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Jorgensen has agreed to testify voluntarily in an upcoming hearing focused on U.S. prices for weight loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy.
The Senate health panel vote, initially scheduled for June 18, aimed to decide whether to subpoena Novo Nordisk to address concerns about U.S. prices for these blockbuster drugs. However, this vote is now deemed unnecessary and will be canceled, according to Senator Bernie Sanders, the committee chair. The subpoena would have required Novo President Doug Langa to testify at a hearing on July 10. Instead, Jorgensen will appear before the committee in early September.
Senator Sanders emphasized, “The Committee looks forward to Mr. Jorgensen explaining why Americans are paying up to ten or fifteen times more for these medications than people in other countries.” For instance, Novo charges Americans $1,349 a month for Wegovy, while the same drug can be purchased for $140 in Germany and $92 in the UK, Sanders highlighted.
In April, Sanders sent a letter to Langa seeking more information on U.S. prices for Ozempic and Wegovy. Novo responded in May, attributing the high prices to the U.S. health system.
Stay tuned for updates on this pivotal hearing and its implications for drug pricing.
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