this post was submitted on 24 Sep 2024

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Maker of Ozempic and Wegovy faces grilling over high cost of weight loss drugs (www.nbcnews.com)

submitted 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/health@lemmy.world

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The chief executive of the drugmaker Novo Nordisk, Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, is scheduled to face tough questions Tuesday on Capitol Hill about the high costs of the company’s widely popular weight-loss drugs.

Jørgensen will appear before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions during a livestreamed hearing Tuesday starting at 10 a.m. ET.

The head of the committee, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., has been vocal about his frustrations over how much Novo Nordisk charges Americans for both Ozempic (used to treat type 2 diabetes) and Wegovy (approved for weight loss).

"In general, we pay by far the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs. Same exact medicine sold in Canada, Europe is a fraction of what it is in the United States," Sanders said in an interview Monday. "The result of that is that hundreds of thousands of people in this country who desperately need this product will not be able to afford it."

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[–] Tenthrow@lemmy.world 54 points 1 month ago (2 children)

It dives me crazy that influencers and instagram wannabes have declared Ozempic a weight loss drug. As a diabetic, Ozempic has been the most effective glucose controlling medication I have ever taken. It drives me crazy that people see it as an easy weight loss medication. I couldn't get it for months because of this insanity.

Also FUCK pharmaceutical companies for this predatory pricing shit and fuck our government for allowing this to happen.

[–] MrQuallzin@lemmy.world 18 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Technically speaking, Ozempic is a weight-loss drug. Both are semaglutide, with slight variations on dosing. It's not FDA approved as a weight loss drug, but can be used off-label for it.

I whole heartedly agree about influencers peddling them as miracle prescriptions. It just takes more away from the already limited stock.

[–] flicker@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago

Ozempic and Wegovy are identical chemicals. Ozempic is the name it goes by for treatment of type 2 diabetes, Wegovy is the name it goes by for weight loss.

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 12 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Start voting progressive and pushing for them to take their rightful place at the head of the DNC then

Moderates refuse to admit healthcare needs fixing, Republicans say it needs fixed but can't even give the concept of a plan to fix it.

The only option that will actually try to fix this. Is progressives, and they can't really do shit while party leadership is in the pockets of the American Healthcare industry.

Dont forget 80+ years ago republicans and "moderate" Dems stopped FDR from getting us universal healthcare, and theyve shown no indications they've changed their mind about it.

If you want things to change, we need to change the type of Dems running the party.

[–] KillerTofu@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

Will they be seasoned too?

[+] snekerpimp@lemmy.world -30 points 1 month ago (4 children)

Trying not to be an ass, but of ALLLLLL the expensive prescription drugs out there, are weight loss drugs really where we need to be focusing our efforts on?

[–] st3ph3n@midwest.social 34 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Consider how many millions of Americans are obese, and the knock-on effects that has on a person's health. I suspect that if these drugs were widely available and affordable it would probably save money and lives in the long term.

[+] snekerpimp@lemmy.world -14 points 1 month ago (3 children)

The obesity epidemic is from the food we shove down our faces, not genetics or disease. We aren’t getting fat due to some virus or bacteria. We are fat because of self control issues and corporations sell more food if they put more sugar/fat/salt in it. Yes, some people DO need a drug like this, but we all know that is NOT who is buying and using this.

[–] Bob_Robertson_IX@discuss.tchncs.de 18 points 1 month ago (1 children)

But these drugs target the self-control issues as well.

You aren't wrong that our food is shit, and that also needs to be addressed, however these drugs are a very useful and effective means of addressing the obesity problem. You are wrong to be judging who you think needs these drugs and who doesn't. If someone is obese and has been unable to control their weight for whatever reason, and these drugs work for them, then they need these drugs.

[–] snekerpimp@lemmy.world -5 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Wow. I’m not judging who needs this, I’m saying that these are not the drugs that need the cost to come down first. There are other medications that should be looked at, even other diabetes meds, to be lowered first. Not these that are being advertised as weight loss miracles. I’m not against these drugs, and I’m sure they help those that need it, and I’m not a doctor to decide that anyway. I’m just pointing out that the two listed medications are a weird choice to start with when it comes to lowering drug prices.

[–] Bob_Robertson_IX@discuss.tchncs.de 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)

some people DO need a drug like this, but we all know that is NOT who is buying and using this.

This sounds kinda judgy to me.

And these are not the medications that they've started looking at to lower prices on. The Inflation Reduction Act had several pieces of it that are aimed at lowering the cost of several prescriptions, including insulin. There have been other bills created at lowering the costs of other drugs, such at the epipen. It's possible to address multiple problems at once. Just because we haven't solved pricing on all drugs doesn't mean we can't make progress on specific, overprice drugs.

[–] snekerpimp@lemmy.world -4 points 1 month ago

The title to this post and the article attached is about these two drugs, that are both being touted as miracle weight loss products, not as a product for people with diabetes. Jesus, we have so many other things out there that are killing us that corporations have a strangle hold on, I’m just questioning why these two are in the spotlight.

And if it sounds judgmental to you, then you are just ignorant to the way the world works my friend.

[–] TheHarpyEagle@pawb.social 6 points 1 month ago

That's just crabs in a bucket. There's no reason we need to only look at one drug at a time, congress could make sweeping drug price reforms any time it wants. Fighting over which single thing to look at first only allows politicians to stall because "no one can decide on what to do."

[–] BradleyUffner@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

Don't let perfection be the enemy of the good

[–] deafboy@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

I'm not going to go as far as blaming some corporation for my shitty life, but some nuance is in order. Some people are just more prone to certain types of addictions compared to others. In some cases, we KNOW for a fact it's genetics. In others we can only suspect.

Personally, I've won the lottery nicotine-wise. I could smoke a cigarette one day and not have another for months or years. But put a good cheesecake in front of me and I'll eat until I'm physically not able to continue.

[–] spankmonkey@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago (1 children)

With the obesity epidemic in the US, yes.

[–] FrenziedFelidFanatic@yiffit.net 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

When those weight loss drugs are actually diabetes drugs that have been co-opted by the market in the same way graphics cards are now used for crypto and ai… yes.

[–] deafboy@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

Perfect. Now we're gatekeeping diseases. It's not like the obesity is one of the greatest killers of our generation. Co-OpTeD bY tHe MaRkEt !1

[+] Bassman27@lemmy.world -16 points 1 month ago (4 children)

I don’t know why you’re being downvoted. I’ve seen this being peddled on social media and if you’re exploring these avenues simply to lose weight you’re lazy and should just exercise more / control your diet.

[–] Alk@lemmy.world 16 points 1 month ago (1 children)

You can say that as much as you want, but it won't stop the obesity epidemic. "Just put in the work" won't save millions from heart disease due to poor diet. Of course everyone could just start eating better. But clearly that hasn't and will not work, so anything that can be used to help people be healthier and save lives, should be.

[–] snekerpimp@lemmy.world -2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

A sugar tax would help. Anything to force food producers to stop loading their food with sugar, fat and salt. Not making a drug cheaper.

[–] gdog05@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago (1 children)

The sugar issue took decades to get us here and will take decades to get us out. It's not an overnight cause and effect. Meanwhile, my doctor thinks ozempic should be in the drinking water (tongue in cheek of course) because of the good it would do to society with immediate results.

[–] snekerpimp@lemmy.world -4 points 1 month ago

I don’t know what to say to that. It’s like futurama’s solution to climate change. We know the problem, but it would be too hard and take too long to fix it, so let’s just do this short term solution and let the next few generations figure it out? Screw what effects it might cause to millions that might be allergic, or to millions who it does not work on. This shouldn’t be a stopgap to fixing issues.

[–] gdog05@lemmy.world 15 points 1 month ago

you’re lazy and should just exercise more / control your diet.

[–] alcoholicorn@lemmy.ml 11 points 1 month ago (2 children)

if you’re exploring these avenues simply to lose weight you’re lazy

Fuck off. I guarantee you that every single person considering medication to control weight has tried exercise and diet.