What weight-loss drugs cost worldwide

For the report, researchers examined pricing data for a one-month supply of four weight-loss drugs (Ozempic, Rybelsus, Wegovy, and Mounjaro) in 10 different countries. Prices were not available for all the drugs in all countries.

Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Wegovy are all different formulations of semaglutide developed by Novo Nordisk. These drugs mimic a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) to target areas of the brain that regulate appetite and food intake. While Ozempic and Rybelsus are approved to treat diabetes, Wegovy has been approved for weight loss.

Eli Lilly's Mounjaro, also known as tirzepatide, mimics both GLP-1 and another hormone called glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP). It is currently only approved for diabetes, but has been used off-label for weight loss.

According to the report, the United States had the highest prices for all four drugs, with costs ranging from $936 (Ozempic/Rybelsus) to $1,349 (Wegovy) for a one-month supply.

For Ozempic, a one-month supply in the United States ($936) is over five times higher than the cost in Japan ($169), the second highest price point for the drug. The lowest price point for Ozempic is $83 in France.

Rybelsus has the same price point as Ozempic ($936) in the United States, which is over four times greater than the second highest price point of $203 in the Netherlands. Wegovy and Mounjaro are also priced between two and three times higher in the United States than in other countries that offer the drug. 

According to KFF, how many patients use these drugs will also affect total healthcare costs in a country. Compared to peer nations, which have an average obesity rate of 17.1%, the United States has a significantly higher obesity rate at 33.6%.

High obesity rates, along with high market demand for weight-loss, could lead to a significant impact on total U.S. healthcare spending, especially compared to peer nations where demand and costs are lower.

However, KFF also noted that list prices are not necessarily the same as net prices paid by insurers or patients since manufacturers often provide rebates and coupons. For example, U.S. patients with private insurance can receive Wegovy coupons that will allow them to purchase a one-month supply for $225 for up to a year if their plan covers the drug or $500 if their plan doesn't.

Currently, Medicare does not cover weight-loss medication, and its coverage among employer health plans is limited, with only 22% doing so. Although a recent KFF poll found that around half of U.S. adults would be interested in taking prescription weight-loss drugs, interest dropped to 16% if the treatments were not covered by insurance.

According to Stacie Dusetzina, a health policy professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, increased competition among drug manufacturers could help reduce the costs of these weight-loss treatments and also give insurers more room to negotiate. Currently, Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, Pfizer, and Amgen are all working on new weight-loss drugs.

"It is a really important moment for thinking about this balance of what amount is paid by health plans, employers, the insured people and what amount is paid by the individual consumer needing these products," Dusetzina said. "We want people to have access, but we also have to reckon with the price." (Amin et al., Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker, 8/17; Constantino, CNBC, 8/17; Choi, The Hill, 8/17)

The weight management medication market is facing a crucial turning point. Learn about the five game-changing moments that will affect the use of GLP-1s for weight loss — from expanded indications to Medicare coverage — and find out what stakeholders should do now to prepare for the future.