The US Medicare regulatory agency announced that it has renegotiated the prices of 15 expensive drugs and obtained significant discounts, including the popular weight-loss drug semaglutide; ② The US federal government will purchase semaglutide at a monthly price of $274, while the drug's list price is $959 per month.

On Tuesday local time (November 25th), the US Medicare regulatory agency announced that it has renegotiated the prices of 15 expensive drugs and obtained significant discounts, including the popular weight-loss drug semaglutide, which is produced by the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk.

It is reported that the discount rates for these 15 drugs range from 38% to 85%, and the new prices will come into effect in 2027.

The US federal government will purchase semaglutide at a price of $274 per month (the commercial name for weight loss is Wegovy, and for diabetes it is Ozempic), while the original price of the drug was $959 per month. This means a reduction of over 70% compared to the original price.

This price reduction was expected. US President Trump said earlier this month that Novo Nordisk and the pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly would significantly lower the prices of weight-loss drugs in the US market in exchange for these drugs being covered by the federal Medicare program.

Evan Seigerman, the director of BMO Healthcare Research, stated in his report on Tuesday evening that this price reduction was in line with Wall Street expectations and was within the company's affordability range.

"We continue to believe that the previous agreements reached by Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly with the government are a major positive for the obesity drug manufacturers and the broader industry," said Seigerman. "The increase in sales resulting from the wider coverage of weight-loss drugs in the healthcare system is likely to offset the pressure from the price cuts."

According to the US government, more than 2 million patients with Medicare have used Ozempic, Wegovy, and Novo Nordisk's oral diabetes medication Rybelsus. The White House said this month that patients with Medicare only need to pay a $50 copayment for these medications.

Medicare is a federal government-led medical insurance program in the United States, specifically providing medical coverage for people aged 65 and above, as well as certain disabled individuals under the age of 65. Currently, Medicare covers over 67 million people aged 65 and above, as well as disabled individuals.

The Trump administration managed to secure favorable prices through the annual price negotiation mechanism, which originated from the "Inflation Reduction Act" (IRA) introduced during the tenure of former US President Biden. Prior to this, Medicare was legally prohibited from negotiating with pharmaceutical companies.

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