Senator Bernie Sanders has once again taken aim at Novo Nordisk over the high cost of its diabetes medication, Ozempic, in the United States. In a recent post on social media platform X, Sanders highlighted a striking disparity: while generic drug companies can sell Ozempic for less than $100, Americans are paying nearly $1,000 each month. He attributed this excessive pricing to corporate greed, provocatively asking why a prescription should cost more than a luxury handbag.
The post included a video featuring Zain Rizvi, a Senior Health Counsel at the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Rizvi pointed out that the wealthy often have better access to expensive medications, while many others struggle to afford them.
He indicated that the actual manufacturing cost of drugs like Ozempic could be under $5, with pharmaceutical companies stating they could sell it for significantly less than the current U.S. price.
Rizvi also addressed the legal maneuvers by Novo Nordisk to prevent companies from offering low-cost generic alternatives to Ozempic. Both he and Sanders criticized the pharmaceutical giant for prioritizing patent rights over public health. This pattern reflects broader concerns about how corporate interests can impede access to necessary medications for many Americans.
Sanders’ focus on Novo Nordisk is not new; earlier this year, he considered holding hearings to discuss drug pricing and sought a meeting with the company’s CEO. The ongoing debate surrounding Ozempic’s cost underscores a larger issue of healthcare affordability in the U.S., with Sanders advocating for fairer pricing that aligns more closely with what patients in other countries pay.
Looking ahead, Sanders remains hopeful that exposing these pricing disparities will lead Novo Nordisk to reconsider its U.S. pricing strategy for Ozempic and Wegovy, another weight-loss drug. He predicts that Ozempic could become one of the best-selling pharmaceuticals in history, emphasizing the need for Americans to have access to affordable medications without being charged exorbitant prices compared to the global market.
