Novo and Lilly slash prices and push telehealth in the race for obesity drug dominance
England just endorsed Wegovy to cut heart attacks and strokes, while US regulators cleared Eli Lilly’s rival pill — sharpening a GLP‑1 showdown with big implications for pricing, access and market share.
According to CNBC, England’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy and Ozempic, as an option for adults with a prior heart attack, stroke or serious circulation issue in the legs and a body mass index of 27 or higher.
This marks the first GLP‑1 in England backed to prevent major cardiovascular events.
NICE’s recommendation will significantly expand access to Wegovy on the National Health Service. Around 1.2 million people could use the medicine to help protect against further heart attacks or strokes as it becomes available for this condition.
Wegovy is mainly a weight-loss treatment but is also approved for reducing the risk of major cardiovascular events in people living with overweight or obesity.
Clinical trials showed that patients taking a 2.4 mg dose of semaglutide alongside existing cardiovascular medicines were 20 percent less likely to have a serious cardiovascular event compared with placebo.
CNBC reported that Wegovy secured UK approval in 2024 for reducing the risk of major cardiovascular disease in people with overweight or obesity and heart disease, but access for that use was largely limited to patients paying out of pocket.
NICE said “these decisions reflect the growing body of evidence that this class of medicines offers benefits extending beyond weight loss.”
Sebnem Avsar Tuna, general manager at Novo Nordisk UK, said the recommendation means clinicians can now use a treatment NICE considers cost effective.
She said Wegovy is “the first and only GLP 1 receptor agonist” proven to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events in this high‑risk population.
CNBC said Novo Nordisk’s Copenhagen-listed shares rose as much as 4 percent on the news before trading 1.7 percent higher, while the Stoxx 600 index gained 1.8 percent.
In the United States, Novo is cutting prices and leaning on telehealth to defend Wegovy.
Reuters reported that Novo Nordisk will launch a discounted subscription plan for US Wegovy patients paying for the drug themselves, offering monthly prices up to nearly 30 percent below its standard rate to widen access and regain ground from Eli Lilly in the obesity-drug market.
Under the new self-pay scheme, Wegovy injection pens will cost US$329 a month for a three‑month plan, US$299 for six months and US$249 for 12 months, compared with the usual US$349 monthly price.
The Wegovy pill will cost US$289, US$269 and US$249 a month for three‑, six‑ and 12‑month plans, versus a standard US$299 monthly price.
Reuters reported that Lilly’s self-pay prices for Zepbound start at US$299 a month for the 2.5 mg dose, US$399 for 5 mg and US$449 for 7.5 mg and higher doses under its “Self Pay Journey Program.”
Analysts and investors told Reuters that Novo risks being on the losing side of the price war, having cut more deeply than Lilly to revive prescriptions that have lagged Zepbound.
The subscription programme will run through telehealth providers including Ro, WeightWatchers and LifeMD, with Hims & Hers and Sesame expected to join.
Reuters also reported that Novo cut Wegovy’s standard self-pay price to US$349 from US$499 after introducing a temporary US$199 starter-dose offer.
On the product side, Bloomberg reported that Novo Nordisk earlier this year “pulled off the best obesity-drug launch ever” with its Wegovy pill and has built more than 600,000 prescriptions.
Jamey Millar, executive vice president of US operations, told Bloomberg the company is “focused on use, users and usage” and is targeting patients who prefer pills to shots.
Millar said the pill has a competitive strength because it is essentially the same as injectable Wegovy, while Lilly’s pill is a different medicine than Zepbound.
The competitive pressure intensified when the US Food and Drug Administration approved Lilly’s weight-loss pill orforglipron, branded Foundayo.
Reuters reported that Foundayo is a once-daily oral GLP‑1; in trials, patients lost 12 percent to 15 percent of their body weight.
Lilly will sell Foundayo at US$149 per month for the lowest dose for self-pay customers via its LillyDirect programme starting April 6 before expanding to retail pharmacies and telehealth providers.
Patients can take Foundayo at any time of day with or without food, while oral Wegovy must be taken first thing in the morning and 30 minutes before any food, water or other medications.
Reuters reported that analysts estimate pills could capture around 20 percent of the weight-loss market by 2030 and that Novo’s American depositary receipts have fallen 28 percent this year on concerns about its ability to stay competitive in the weight-loss market.
