Latest news with #diabetes
CTV News
4 hours ago
- Health
- CTV News
U.S. patients can now get Ozempic for half price if they can pay cash
Novo Nordisk announced Monday that U.S. patients can now get a month's supply of Ozempic, the blockbuster diabetes drug, for US$499, for those who pay for medications on their own and don't go through insurance. The move comes as U.S. President Donald Trump is pressuring drugmakers to lower drug costs, which have long been a major health care headache for Americans. He and lawmakers have called out popular but pricey GLP-1 drugs, which are used for diabetes and weight loss, noting they are much more expensive in the United States than in other countries. Trump has also been pushing pharmaceutical manufacturers to provide medications directly to consumers at a lower price, cutting out insurers and other players. Novo Nordisk is making Ozempic, which carries a list price of just under $1,000 per month, available at its NovoCare Pharmacy, which ships medications directly to cash-paying consumers. The drugmaker earlier this year launched the direct-to-consumer pharmacy, offering Wegovy, its in-demand weight loss drug, for $499 a month. Rival Eli Lilly has also slashed the price of its GLP-1 weight loss drug, Zepbound, for self-pay patients. The discounted Ozempic price is also available on other platforms, including Novo Nordisk's website and through a partnership with GoodRx, which offers discounts on prescriptions at many pharmacies. The offer is open to eligible patients with an Ozempic prescription, the drugmaker said. Insurers are more likely to cover Ozempic for those with diabetes than they are Wegovy, and Novo Nordisk offers discounts for those with coverage. However, Novo Nordisk is looking to broaden Ozempic's availability even further. 'While Ozempic is well covered in the US, let's not forget that there are some patients who pay out-of-pocket for this vital medicine,' Dave Moore, executive vice president, of Novo Nordisk's U.S. operations, said in a statement. 'We believe that if even a single patient feels the need to turn to potentially unsafe and unapproved knockoff alternatives, that's one too many.' The company noted in its second-quarter earnings call this month that compounding pharmacies, which are allowed to make versions of medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration when drugs are in shortage, have affected the sales of its GLP-1 medications. The FDA removed Novo Nordisk's semaglutide-based drugs, Ozempic and Wegovy, along with Eli Lilly's tirzepatide-based drugs, Zepbound and Mounjaro, from the shortage list. Novo Nordisk, however, said compounded versions continue to be sold. By Tami Luhby, CNN
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Ozempic Just Got a Massive Price Cut -- And GoodRx Stock Exploded
Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO) just threw a curveball into the drug pricing debateslashing the cash price of Ozempic by nearly 50%. For $499 a month, uninsured patients in the US can now access the blockbuster diabetes drug through Novo's NovoCare platform, or via GoodRx (NASDAQ:GDRX), which joined forces with the Danish drugmaker in a surprise partnership. It's a strategic countermovetimed just days after rival Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) hiked obesity shot prices in the UK and as Novo faces growing pressure from US lawmakers over steep domestic drug costs. According to Novo's US chief Dave Moore, this isn't just about headlinesit's about giving patients an alternative to questionable knockoff versions circulating in the market. Warning! GuruFocus has detected 1 Warning Sign with NVO. The market wasted no time reacting. Novo shares surged as much as 7.8% intraday on the back of the announcement, further buoyed by fresh FDA approval for Wegovy to treat a serious liver condition. GoodRx, meanwhile, staged a breakout of its ownrallying 39% in its biggest single-day move since 2020. CEO Wendy Barnes called the deal a win-win: millions of cost-conscious consumers already use GoodRx to hunt down cash prices, and Novo just handed them two of the hottest GLP-1 drugs in one package. With Wegovy already available for direct-to-consumer sales since March, Novo is now mirroring Lilly's earlier DTC pushjust with a pricing twist. What's less visiblebut no less importantis the political backdrop. Both the Trump and Biden administrations have taken swings at Novo over its US pricing, with Trump even sending direct letters to drugmakers. Last year, Novo's former CEO was grilled by Congress as Ozempic became the poster child for the US-vs-world drug cost divide. Officially, Novo says this new pricing has nothing to do with Washington. Unofficially? The timing couldn't be more convenient. Whether it's a PR play, a volume game, or a way to undercut compounders eating into market share, one thing's clear: Novo's playing a different hand in the GLP-1 war. This article first appeared on GuruFocus. Sign in to access your portfolio
Medscape
5 hours ago
- Health
- Medscape
Multidrug Therapy Could Help Both the Heart and the Brain
A groundbreaking analysis reveals that older adults taking a combination of medications for high blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes showed slower cognitive decline compared to those taking fewer medications. The impact is significant. The cognitive benefits were equivalent to being 3 years younger than the average age in the study sample. The research tracked over 4600 older adults without dementia, documenting their medication use and cognitive function over approximately 9 years. The findings were remarkable: Those taking all three medication classes showed notably slower decline in global cognition, particularly in semantic and working memory. In a deeper analysis of nearly 1900 deceased participants, those who had been taking the combination therapy showed significantly lower odds of various brain pathologies, including reduced atherosclerosis and less global Alzheimer's disease pathology. While these results are promising, researchers emphasize that additional studies are needed before making definitive clinical recommendations. This content was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.
CNN
6 hours ago
- Health
- CNN
US patients can now get Ozempic for half price if they can pay cash
Novo Nordisk announced Monday that US patients can now get a month's supply of Ozempic, the blockbuster diabetes drug, for $499, for those who pay for medications on their own and don't go through insurance. The move comes as President Donald Trump is pressuring drugmakers to lower drug costs, which have long been a major health care headache for Americans. He and lawmakers have called out popular but pricey GLP-1 drugs, which are used for diabetes and weight loss, noting they are much more expensive in the United States than in other countries. Trump has also been pushing pharmaceutical manufacturers to provide medications directly to consumers at a lower price, cutting out insurers and other players. Novo Nordisk is making Ozempic, which carries a list price of just under $1,000 per month, available at its NovoCare Pharmacy, which ships medications directly to cash-paying consumers. The drugmaker earlier this year launched the direct-to-consumer pharmacy, offering Wegovy, its in-demand weight loss drug, for $499 a month. Rival Eli Lilly has also slashed the price of its GLP-1 weight loss drug, Zepbound, for self-pay patients. The discounted Ozempic price is also available on other platforms, including Novo Nordisk's website and through a partnership with GoodRx, which offers discounts on prescriptions at many pharmacies. The offer is open to eligible patients with an Ozempic prescription, the drugmaker said. Insurers are more likely to cover Ozempic for those with diabetes than they are Wegovy, and Novo Nordisk offers discounts for those with coverage. However, Novo Nordisk is looking to broaden Ozempic's availability even further. 'While Ozempic is well covered in the US, let's not forget that there are some patients who pay out-of-pocket for this vital medicine,' Dave Moore, executive vice president, of Novo Nordisk's US operations, said in a statement. 'We believe that if even a single patient feels the need to turn to potentially unsafe and unapproved knockoff alternatives, that's one too many.' The company noted in its second-quarter earnings call this month that compounding pharmacies, which are allowed to make versions of medications approved by the US Food and Drug Administration when drugs are in shortage, have affected the sales of its GLP-1 medications. The FDA removed Novo Nordisk's semaglutide-based drugs, Ozempic and Wegovy, along with Eli Lilly's tirzepatide-based drugs, Zepbound and Mounjaro, from the shortage list. Novo Nordisk, however, said compounded versions continue to be sold.
Associated Press
9 hours ago
- Business
- Associated Press
Luna Diabetes Raises Series A Financing to Advance its Automated Insulin Delivery Solution For Insulin Pen Users
Luna is the world's smallest iCGM-compatible insulin patch pump with a first-of-its-kind fully closed-loop algorithm designed to make automated insulin delivery easier, lower cost, and accessible to millions on multiple daily injections. SAN DIEGO, CA / ACCESS Newswire / August 18, 2025 / Luna Health Inc., a medical device company pioneering a first-of-its-kind method of insulin delivery for insulin pen users, today announced the closing of its $23.6M Series A financing led by Vensana Capital, with participation from the Swiss Diabetes Venture Fund, Ascensia Diabetes Care, Winklevoss Capital, and other prominent investors with deep expertise in diabetes technology and value creation. The funding will accelerate development of Luna, the world's smallest insulin patch pump paired with the firm's fully closed-loop insulin dosing algorithm, created to serve the vast majority of people with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) and Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) who rely on insulin pens. Luna's first-in-class, low-profile, iCGM-compatible, low-cost patch pump delivers automated doses of rapid-acting insulin during sleep, when over 80% of the glucose improvement from traditional pump-based automated insulin delivery happens, without requiring people with diabetes to make the leap to full-time pump therapy. By focusing on where automation has the greatest impact on glucose control, Luna dramatically reduces complexity, lowers costs, and reduces barriers to adoption, thereby making automated insulin delivery accessible to millions of people worldwide who are either unwilling or unable to wear a traditional pump 24/7. 'We are incredibly excited and fortunate to partner with Vensana Capital to accelerate bringing to market our products that solve the single largest problem in all of diabetes - nighttime glucose control for pen users,' added Jon Brilliant, co-founder and CFO of Luna. 'Vensana's track record and leadership in the medical device ecosystem further bolsters the world-class team of employees and advisors that we have assembled to tackle this problem.' 'Luna is solving a challenge the diabetes field has struggled with for decades-bringing the benefits of automation to injection users,' said Justin Klein, MD, JD, co-founder and Managing Partner at Vensana Capital, a leading venture capital and growth equity firm dedicated to medtech innovation. 'Luna's platform has the potential to fundamentally expand the reach of automated insulin delivery and drive measurable improvements in outcomes for people with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.' The company will use the Series A funding to advance regulatory submissions, conduct clinical studies, build manufacturing capacity, and expand clinical and market access programs -- all to make automated insulin delivery much more accessible to people with diabetes. About Luna Health Inc. Luna Health Inc.'s mission is to empower millions using insulin pens to manage their diabetes effortlessly while they sleep. Its flagship product, Luna, combines the world's smallest insulin patch pump with a fully closed-loop algorithm to automate insulin delivery during sleep and support users across the day, without requiring a switch to a full-time insulin pump. Headquartered in San Diego, California, Luna develops solutions that are simple to start, easy to live with, and available through insurance. Learn more at Media Contact Luna Health Inc. [email protected] About Vensana Capital Vensana Capital is a venture capital and growth equity investment firm dedicated to partnering with entrepreneurs who seek to transform healthcare with breakthrough innovations in medical technology. Founded in 2019, Vensana has approximately $1 billion in capital under management and is actively investing in development and commercial-stage companies across the medtech sector, including medical devices, data science-oriented solutions, life science tools & diagnostics, and tech-enabled services. Vensana's investment team has a history of successfully partnering with entrepreneurs behind industry-leading companies, including Artelon, Cameron Health, CardiAQ, Cartiva, CV Ingenuity, CVRx, Epix Therapeutics, Inari Medical, Intact Vascular, Lutonix, Neuwave Medical, Personal Genome Diagnostics, Relievant Medsystems, Sequent Medical, Topera, Ulthera, Veran Medical Technologies, Vertiflex, and Vesper Medical. Learn more at SOURCE: Luna Health, Inc. press release
