Novo Nordisk and GoodRx have partnered to offer products like Ozempic and Wegovy at half their normal cost to patients who pay for the medications with cash. Starting this week, customers can buy a month’s supply of Ozempic for $499 through GoodRx, a product normally around $1,000 or more without insurance. This partnership aims to make innovative brand-name treatments more accessible for millions of people who need them.
Demand for GLP-1 medications is at an all-time high, but many Americans still face barriers accessing them. GoodRx CEO and President Wendy Barnes said that the partnership is a significant step forward in making these innovative brand-name treatments more accessible for millions of people. This is the most recent in similar moves Novo Nordisk has made to make its popular diabetes and weight loss medication more widely available.
Earlier this year, the company announced a direct-to-patient program called NovoCare Pharmacy for uninsured and underinsured individuals who can pay $499 a month for Wegovy. Novo Nordisk also partnered with online telehealth companies like Ro and LifeMD to sell its pens at the same price point.
Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), a prominent critic of high drug costs, called the announcement a “modest step forward.” He noted that Ozempic costs just $59 in Germany while it costs less than $5 to make, urging the U.S. to no longer pay the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs.