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Novo Nordisk Expands Wegovy Price Cut Program, Stock Still Falls 2%
NVONovo Nordisk(NVO) ZACKS·2025-03-25 17:05

Core Viewpoint - Novo Nordisk has updated its savings offer for the obesity drug Wegovy, allowing cash-paying patients to purchase it for 499permonth,downfrom499 per month, down from 650, while those with commercial insurance may pay as little as 0permonth[1][2][5]Group1:PricingandMarketPositionThenewpricingstrategyaimstoprovidebetteraccesstoWegovyforpatientsnotcoveredbygovernmentfundedhealthcareprograms[2][3]ThepricereductionmayreflectcompetitivepressurefromrivalEliLilly,whichhasalsoannouncedpricecutsforitsobesitydrugZepbound[5][6]NovoNordisksstockfellby20 per month [1][2][5] Group 1: Pricing and Market Position - The new pricing strategy aims to provide better access to Wegovy for patients not covered by government-funded healthcare programs [2][3] - The price reduction may reflect competitive pressure from rival Eli Lilly, which has also announced price cuts for its obesity drug Zepbound [5][6] - Novo Nordisk's stock fell by 2% following the announcement, indicating investor concerns about potential revenue impacts due to the price reduction [5] Group 2: Regulatory and Safety Aspects - Wegovy is an FDA-approved treatment, which provides assurance of safety, effectiveness, and quality compared to compounded medications [4] - The FDA has removed shortages for both Novo Nordisk's and Eli Lilly's GLP-1 medications, indicating sufficient supply levels to meet demand [7] Group 3: New Developments and Collaborations - Novo Nordisk has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with United Biotechnology for the investigational candidate UBT251, which is in early-stage clinical development for obesity and type 2 diabetes [8][9] - The agreement includes an upfront payment of 200 million and potential milestone payments of up to $1.8 billion, along with tiered royalties on sales outside certain territories [10] - UBT251 has shown promising results in a phase Ib study, with participants experiencing an average weight reduction of 15.1% in the highest dose group [11][12]