2023-07-14 17:40:50
The weight loss syringe Wegovy from Novo Nordisk, which is causing a stir, is expected to be available from pharmaceutical wholesalers in Germany from next week. Pharmacies could then order the drug there, “we assume that Wegovy will be available in pharmacies from the end of July,” said a spokeswoman for the pharmaceutical company on Friday. The pharmacy retail price for the initial dose for the first four weeks of treatment is EUR 171.92. For the highest maintenance dose of 2.4 mg, which is injected once a week, the selling price for four weeks is 301.91 euros, the daily costs here are 10.78 euros. The therapy should therefore cost just under 328 euros per month.
The price is significantly lower than in the US, where Wegovy has a list price of $1350 a month for the highest dose. Wegovy is more affordable in this country for patients who have to pay for the drug out of their own pocket. In Germany, weight control medications are not reimbursed by statutory health insurance companies. According to Novo Nordisk, doctors can prescribe the drug for obesity patients as of July 17th. In Europe, Wegovy is currently only available in Denmark and Norway. According to Novo Nordisk, the pharmacy price in Denmark for the maintenance dose is 2370.60 Danish kroner (equivalent to 318 euros) for four weeks and in Norway 2775.30 Norwegian kroner (around 248 euros).
The hype surrounding the injection, which is said to have helped celebrities such as Tesla boss Elon Musk and reality star Kim Kardashian lose weight, is high. In the USA, the Danish manufacturer Novo Nordisk is already having to limit access to the drug for new patients because it is struggling with supply bottlenecks due to the immense demand.
Manufacturer anticipates high demand
The association of private health insurance companies explained that if the doctor prescribes Wegovy based on an indication, it will be reimbursed by the private health insurance companies – provided there are no tariff-related exclusions. The list price selected by the manufacturer is paid. In the European Union, Wegovy is approved for adults who are obese and have a body mass index of 30 or more, or are overweight and have a BMI of 27 or more and who have at least one weight-related comorbidity. It can also be used by obese young people aged 12 and over with a body weight of at least 60 kilograms. Novo Nordisk expects high demand with a limited supply and called on doctors to “prescribe responsibly”.
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The deputy head of the Section for Obesity and Metabolic Surgery at the University of Freiburg, Jodok Fink, explained that he assumes that his patients will be willing to pay for the drug out of their own pockets. “More and more of my patients have been asking about Wegovy,” he said. He and many bariatric surgeons in Germany do not see Wegovy as a substitute for surgery in morbidly obese people with a BMI of 50 or more. However, the drug could be a “co-treatment” alongside surgery for these patients and those with a lower BMI.
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