Novo Nordisk CEO sees 15 million-patient opportunity in Medicare coverage for obesity drugs

Core Insights - Novo Nordisk aims to capture approximately 15 million new patients when Medicare begins covering obesity treatments later this year [1][2] - Medicare's coverage is expected to expand the market for obesity medicines and encourage private insurers to follow suit, with estimates suggesting 20 million to 30 million Medicare patients suffer from obesity and related conditions [2] - The company anticipates that Medicare coverage, along with the launch of a new obesity pill, will help increase prescription volumes despite lower prices in the U.S. due to previous agreements [3] Group 1 - Novo Nordisk's CEO indicated that the target of 15 million patients is based on the specific products and target group within the 67 million Americans covered by Medicare [1] - The company is currently negotiating with the government regarding the exact timing of when Medicare coverage will begin [5] - There is a cautious outlook on the immediate impact of Medicare coverage, contrasting with Eli Lilly's more optimistic stance on the coverage being a significant boost [4]