Novo Nordisk launches Wegovy in China with prices well below U.S.

Initial prescriptions for the drug are expected to be issued in Shanghai this week, Yicai news service reported on Monday.

Wegovy is also listed as available for pre-orders on several e-commerce platforms where patients can register for clinical visits to assess their eligibility for treatment and prescriptions.

Prices vary depending on the dose, but a one-month supply of the 0.25 mg starting dose will cost 1,400 yuan ($193.31), according to Yicai and online listings.

That’s significantly less than the $1,349 list price of the Wegovy in the US. They are also lower than prices in some European markets that US lawmakers have cited when criticizing the Danish drugmaker over its prices.

Private payments

However, while many patients in the United States and Europe rely on insurance companies to cover at least part of the drug’s costs, Chinese buyers will have to pay largely out of their own pockets.

Wegovy cannot be reimbursed under China’s national health insurance program, which covers 95% of the country’s 1.4 billion people, and authorities have ruled out coverage for weight loss.

Novo is exploring ways to make the drug more affordable, including commercial insurance, Christine Zhu, the company’s global senior vice president and head of China, told Yicai.

Novo announced the launch of Wegovy in China at an event on Sunday, nearly five months after the drug Approved In the country.

Ozempic, a drug containing the same active ingredient semaglutide, was approved in 2021 and later included on the state insurance reimbursement list for type 2 diabetes.

Global sales of both drugs, which target a hormone known as GLP-1, have continued to rise as Novo works to overcome shortages caused by overwhelming demand.

Wegovy brought in $2.5 billion for Novo in the third quarter, exceeds Analysts’ expectations.

Obesity rates are on the rise in China, with a study conducted in 2023 estimating that about 85 million adults suffer from this condition.

US-based Eli Lilly & Co., Novo’s main competitor, has also gained in China consent for a weight-loss drug, while local biotech companies are working on competing candidates.

Novo said she would end Wegovy’s initial launch in China to avoid global disruption.

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