Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is accusing Novo Nordisk, the maker of popular weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, of gouging prices for customers in the United States.
During a Tuesday appearance on MSNBC's "Ana Cabrera Reports," Sanders passionately pointed out the stark contrast in drug prices, stating that Novo Nordisk should not be charging people in the U.S. over $1,000 a month for the product while charging those who reside in places like Germany and Canada a fraction of the price.
"The American people, in my view, no matter what your political view may be, are sick and tired of being ripped off by drug companies and paying the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs, including Ozempic," Sanders told the media network.
Sanders also said Novo Nordisk must substantially lower the price they are charging Americans because of the large number of people dealing with diabetes and obesity who cannot afford the medicine.
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If the U.S. does not get a handle on these prices, Sanders claimed Medicare and Medicaid will pay "enormous sums of money" that will fall onto the backs of taxpayers.
Sanders' comments follow a study by researchers at Yale University, King's College Hospital in London and the Doctors Without Borders nonprofit that claimed Ozempic could be profitably created for less than $5 a month.
According to a report published in the JAMA Network Open journal, those without insurance in the U.S. can expect to pay $965.52 per month.
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In a statement to MSNBC, Novo Nordisk defended their pricing.
"It's easy to oversimplify the science that goes into understanding disease and developing and producing new treatments, as well as the intricacies of U.S. and global healthcare systems. However, the public debate doesn't always take into account this extremely complex reality," the company said.
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They also suggested that a majority of U.S. patients with insurance pay on average $25 per month, and are committed to working with the government to lower the cost of their prescription drugs.
