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The health benefits of a blockbuster weight-loss drug are bridging stark political divides in the United States.
Vermont progressive Sen. Bernie Sanders said Tuesday Senate Committee Hearings Regarding the high prices of obesity drugs, he said he agrees with Elon Musk, a supporter of former President Donald Trump, on expanding access to GLP-1 weight-loss drugs.
These therapies, which mimic the hormone that regulates appetite and blood sugar levels, have shown remarkable success in treating obesity and type 2 diabetes. The most popular GLP-1 drug on the market is Ozempic (Norbo) and Wegovy, both manufactured by Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk.
“Solving obesity would drastically reduce the risk of other diseases, including diabetes, and improve quality of life. We need to find a way to make appetite suppressants available to anyone who wants them,” Musk wrote in a post on X last week.TSLA) is a social media platform owned by him.
The post was made in response to one from Senator Sanders who argued that generic drug companies could sell cheaper versions of these medications for less than $100 per month.
In the United States, the list price of Ozempic (the price of the drug without health insurance) is $968.52 for a one-month supply. The list price of Wegovy in the United States is $1,349.02. The cost of these popular drugs is It’s already much cheaper in other countriesFor example, Ozempic costs just $59 in Germany and Wegovy costs just $92 in the UK.
“I disagree with Bernie on a lot of things, but I agree with him on this,” Musk wrote.
Senator Sanders Grill Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Fruagaard Jorgensen At a Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP) hearing on Tuesday morning about how much the company will charge in the U.S. for its blockbuster drug,
Senator Sanders said at Tuesday’s hearing that Novo Nordisk has made $50 billion in sales from Ozempic and Wegobee since 2018, with 72% of that coming from sales in the United States.
“In other words, the United States is Novo Nordisk’s cash cow for Ozempic and Wegovi,” Senator Sanders said.
At one point, Senator Sanders cited Musk’s tweet and said, “Musk is right.”
Later that day, Musk told X:With Bernie.”
