NEW YORK, May 22 (Xinhua) -- The Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk announced it has temporarily reduced the price of the weight-loss drug Wegovy for new customers as it attempts to limit sales of compounded versions of the medication, reported USA Today on Thursday.
Novo Nordisk will sell a one-month supply of Wegovy for 199 U.S. dollars through June 30 for patients who previously took compounded versions of the medication. The announcement coincides with a federal deadline on May 22 for manufacturers to cease distributing less expensive, compounded versions of the drug.
Novo Nordisk officials said the one-time discounted price is meant for people who must pay for the drug because they are uninsured or their health insurance doesn't cover it. The price will revert to a cash price of 499 dollars after June 30.
"Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have been scrutinized over prices for the popular class of diabetes and obesity medications known as GLP-1, or glucagon-like peptide-1, drugs," noted the report.
