WASHINGTON — Senate health committee chair Bernie Sanders said major drug middlemen have agreed not to limit coverage of Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy if the company lowers the prices of the treatments. It’s Sanders’ latest move to pressure Novo to cut the prices of the blockbuster diabetes and obesity therapies.
Novo has been blaming pharmacy benefit managers for the high list prices of its drugs, arguing that it needs to be able to pay rebates to the middlemen to ensure favorable insurance coverage. Sanders’ announcement, during a Senate health committee hearing Tuesday, undercuts that claim.
“I am delighted to announce today that I have received commitments in writing from all of the major PBMs that if Novo Nordisk were to substantially reduce the list price for Ozempic and Wegovy, they would not not limit coverage. In fact, all of them told me they would be able to expand coverage for these drugs if the list price was reduced,” Sanders (I-Vt.) said during the hearing.