By The Trump administration on Thursday announced its newest pharmaceutical agreement under its Most Favored Nation (MFN) policy, striking deals with Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly to sell their GLP-1 products at discounted prices.
According to senior administration officials, the two manufacturers have agreed to sell their injectable GLP-1 products for a monthly starting price starting of $245 for people on Medicare and Medicaid, as well as those who use the TrumpRX platform expected to launch early next year.
Oral GLP-1s will also be sold through the same avenues at a starting price of $149 a month. A senior administration official said, however, that this price will only apply to GLP-1 tablets that are “currently under review that will be approved for obesity” and will not apply to Rybelsus, which is currently the only oral GLP-1 approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
“The savings generated by these price reductions will then be used to provide new coverage for GLP ones to patients with obesity, the high metabolic or cardiovascular risk, again, all at the same $245 per month,” a senior administration official said.
An administration official estimated about 10 percent of Medicare beneficiaries will be eligible for expanded access to GLP-1s.
Medicare is legally prohibited from covering obesity medications, though it can cover GLP-1s indicated for heart conditions. Administration officials did not say how the federal program would be able to cover the GLP-1 drugs that are currently indicated solely for diabetes and obesity.
Administration officials specified that these prices are separate from the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program. Novo Nordisk’s well-known GLP-1 Ozempic was chosen for Medicare negotiation at the start of this year.
DEVELOPING…