Tripling the dose and only increasing the monthly fee by $50: Novo Nordisk (NVO.US) raises the dose of Wegovy to compete directly with Eli Lilly (LLY.US) ZepBound

Zhitong Finance APP learned that Novo Nordisk (NVO.US) announced that, for self-pay patients, it has set the price for its new high-dose weight-loss drug Wegovy at $399 per month, a price that is lower than most dosage prices for Eli Lilly (LLY.US)‘s Zepbound facing self-pay patients.

Novo Nordisk said that the high-dose version of Wegovy will be officially launched this Tuesday. This pricing is about 40% lower than the prices for the first three higher-dose tiers of Zepbound from Eli Lilly for self-pay patients.

This more potent drug is an important part of Novo Nordisk’s strategy to catch up with Eli Lilly. A prior clinical trial showed that Zepbound performed better than standard-dose Wegovy in terms of weight loss outcomes. With more significant weight-loss effects, Eli Lilly’s drug has become the best-selling weight-loss injection in the United States.

Novo Nordisk is betting on a rebound in performance with a new formulation of Wegovy. The oral version of Wegovy launched in January has already delivered the best launch performance to date in the history of weight-loss drugs. Last week, the Danish pharmaceutical company also introduced a subscription service—patients who sign up for several months of treatment can enjoy a lower monthly Wegovy fee.

This new injection called Wegovy
HD, with a drug dosage of 7.2 mg, is three times the highest dose previously available on the market, while the monthly self-pay price is only $50 higher. Self-pay patients can purchase it through Novo Nordisk’s direct-to-consumer platform NovoCare, through regular pharmacy channels, and via designated telemedicine partners.

A spokesperson for Novo Nordisk said that, depending on the telemedicine institutions involved in the partnership, the new dosage product will be included in certain subscription packages and offered at the standard subscription price.