The logo of pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk is displayed in front of the company’s offices in Bagsvaer, Copenhagen, Denmark, on February 4, 2026.
Tom Little | Reuters
novo nordisk announced Tuesday that it plans to cut the monthly list price of a popular U.S. obesity and diabetes drug by up to 50% starting in 2027 to make treatment easier for patients with insurance.
Starting January 1, 2027, the list price of Wegovy, an injectable bariatric drug, its new pill counterpart, Ozempic, an injectable antidiabetic drug, and Rybelsus, an oral diabetes drug, will be reduced to $675 per month starting January 1, 2027. The current list price for both of Wegovy’s medications is approximately $1,350 per month, while the list price for the diabetes drug is approximately $1,027 per month.
Novo said for the first time that the price cuts are targeted at insured people whose out-of-pocket costs are tied to list prices, such as those enrolled in high-deductible health plans or coinsurance benefit designs. It’s unclear how much these patients typically pay out of pocket, but Novo says those with commercial insurance could pay as little as $25 a month for its drug.
The Danish drugmaker previously lowered direct-to-consumer prices for Wigoby and Ozempic, primarily benefiting patients who often don’t have insurance coverage for the drugs and pay in cash.
Novo offers drugs to cash-paying patients for $149 to $499 per month, depending on the specific product and dosage. Novo and its biggest rival Eli Lilly The GLP-1 price war has intensified in the last year, especially after the landmark “most-favored-nation” agreement struck with President Donald Trump in November.
The move could help Novo better compete with Lilly, which currently holds a majority share of the blockbuster GLP-1 market. Lilly’s more effective drugs and early move into the direct-to-consumer space have helped it take the lead in this space, but the company has yet to significantly lower the list price of its drugs in the United States.
“Patients, as well as private and public payers, want access and demand lower list prices,” Jamie Miller, head of Novo Nordisk’s U.S. operations, said in a statement. “Our actions today answer that call, remove cost barriers and enable more patients to realize the value of Wegovy and Ozempic.”
The move coincides with the implementation of new lower Medicare prices for Novo’s obesity and diabetes drugs in 2027 following negotiations with the federal government under the Inflation Control Act. The new negotiated price for Wegovy, Ozempic, and Rybelsus will be $274 per month.
