Weight-loss drugs cost more in the US than in other countries, says KFF

Successful weight-loss drugs command a significantly higher price in the US than in other large, high-income countries, according to a new analysis published Thursday.

The report from KFF, a health policy organization, comes as many US health insurers are resisting the extreme cost of weight-loss drugs and removing the drugs from their plans.

With an average of about $1,000 per month for drugs that are normally taken over a long period of time, drugs are stretching insurance budgets. But many of the 100 million obese American adults cannot pay out-of-pocket for the treatments, called GLP-1 agonists.

KFF compared list prices (the price a drug manufacturer sets before insurance or any discounts) available through website searches.

Some countries negotiate directly with drugmakers like Novo Nordisk to set lower list prices for drugs, according to Krutika Amin, associate director of Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker. Meanwhile, other countries like the US do not, which contributes to very different list prices.

A 30-day supply of new nordiskOzempic’s diabetes drug, which is used off-label for weight loss, for example, has a list price of $936 in the US. That’s five times more expensive than the list price of $168 in Japan.

List prices are even lower in other countries. Ozempic is priced at $103 in Germany, $96 in Sweden, and $83 in France.

Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy, which has the same active ingredient as Ozempic and is approved for weight loss, lists for over $1,300 in the US. Meanwhile, Wegovy lists for just $328 in Germany .

Eli Lilly the diabetes drug Mounjaro, which is also used off-label for weight loss, has a list price of $1,023 in the US, but only $319 in Japan and $444 in the Netherlands.

Representatives for Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment on Thursday.

These list prices and patchy insurance coverage for weight-loss drugs in the US undoubtedly affect affordability. But a KFF survey published earlier this month suggests they also affect general patient interest in drugs.

The survey found that nearly half of American adults are generally interested in taking a prescription drug for weight loss, but that interest drops to 16% if the drug isn’t covered by insurance.

About 80% of adults in the survey said insurance companies should cover the cost of weight-loss drugs for adults who are overweight or obese, while half said insurers should cover the cost of anyone who want to use them to lose weight.

New trial data released by Novo Nordisk last week could put more pressure on US insurers to cover weight-loss drugs.

The Danish company’s trial found that Wegovy dramatically reduced the risk of serious heart problems and heart-related death by 20% in overweight or obese patients with established cardiovascular disease.

The results suggest that Wegovy and likely other obesity drugs have significant health benefits beyond losing unwanted pounds. But organizations representing the insurers have told CNBC that more data is needed before they can qualify for broader coverage.