The famed Danish drug maker Novo Nordisk A/S (NYSE:NVO) expressed disappointment on Wednesday following a recommendation by the Dutch Health Care Institute advising the Netherlands government against including the company's popular weight-loss drug, Wegovy, in the basic insurance coverage.
The institute's recommendation, delivered on Tuesday, cited insufficient clarity on whether Wegovy's health benefits justify its costs.
Related: Bernie Sanders Targets High Prices of Ozempic and Wegovy In US.
Although Wegovy has proven effective for weight loss, the institute stressed the need for further research to determine the drug's comprehensive health effects.
With an estimated 4 million people in the Netherlands potentially benefiting from Wegovy, the institute projected that government expenses could escalate to approximately 1.3 billion euros ($1.42 billion).
Notably, Wegovy is not yet available for purchase in the Netherlands, as confirmed by Novo Nordisk.
Last year, Novo Nordisk submitted an application to Dutch authorities seeking insurance coverage for a limited patient group.
The institute also raised concerns about the global shortage of semaglutide, Wegovy's primary ingredient, which is crucial for diabetes treatment.
"These shortages emphasize the importance of critically weighing which people have the largest benefit from a medicine," it said.
"While we are pleased that the Dutch Health Care Institute recognizes the necessary role of medications in the fight against obesity as a chronic disease, we are obviously disappointed in their initial decision," Reuters report added, citing a Novo Nordisk spokesperson's email.
U.S. pharmacy claims data analysis reveals that only one in four patients prescribed Novo Nordisk's weight-loss drugs, Wegovy and Ozempic, continue their treatment after two years.
The data provided to Reuters highlights a significant decline in long-term adherence to these medications.
Price Action: NVO shares are down 4.29% at $134.82 at last check Wednesday.
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著名的丹麦制药商诺和诺德（Novo Nordisk A/S）（NYSE: NVO）周三表示失望，此前荷兰卫生保健研究所建议荷兰政府不要将该公司的热门减肥药物Wegovy列入基本保险范围。该研究所于周二发表了这一建议，称Wegovy是否能够产生健康效益并不清晰。
该研究所的建议强调，尽管Wegovy已被证明可以减轻体重，但有必要进行进一步的研究来确定该药物的全面健康影响，因此不应将其纳入基本保险范围。
相关：伯尼·桑德斯针对奥塞密普和Wegovy在美国的高价进行瞄准。
虽然Wegovy已被证明可以减轻体重，但该研究所强调有必要进一步研究该药物的全面健康影响。
据估计，在荷兰约有400万人可能从Wegovy中受益，该研究所预计政府开支可能会升至约13亿欧元（1.42亿美元）。
值得注意的是，诺和诺德已确认，Wegovy尚未在荷兰上市销售。
去年，诺和诺德向荷兰当局提交了一份申请，旨在为有限的患者群体提供保险覆盖。
该研究所还对semaglutide的全球短缺提出了关注，semaglutide是Wegovy的主要成分，对于糖尿病治疗至关重要。
它说：“这些短缺强调了从批判的角度权衡哪些人从药物中获益的重要性。”
路透社的报道援引诺和诺德发言人的电子邮件称：“虽然我们很高兴荷兰卫生保健研究所认识到药物在与肥胖症这一慢性病作斗争中的必要作用，但我们显然对他们的初步决定感到失望。”
美国药房索赔数据分析显示，只有四分之一因为体重问题被开具诺和诺德的减肥药物Wegovy和Ozempic的患者在两年后继续治疗。
路透社提供的数据突显了这些药物长期依从性的显著下降。
价格行动： NVO股票最新下跌4.29％至134.82美元。
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图片来自shutterstock。
