Global Scans · Diet Drugs · Weekly Summary

• [New] A patent on semaglutide - the core ingredient of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy - is due to expire in several countries in 2026, meaning other drug-makers will soon be free to produce and sell cheap versions in places like India, Canada, China, Brazil and Turkey. BBC News
• [New] In 2025, nearly 10% of people with commercial insurance lack coverage for any GIP and GLP-1 agonists that could be prescribed for weight loss. Becker's Payer Issues | Payer News
• [New] Fewer than 10% of people who could benefit from GLP-1 therapies are expected to receive them by 2030. Turkiye Today
• [New] Medicare will get a 71% discount on Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus, blockbuster drugs for obesity and Type 2 diabetes that have current list prices of around a thousand dollars a month. NPR
• [New] Self-pay patients will be able to access the Zepbound multi-dose pen, if FDA approved, at $299 for the lowest dose and up to $449 for the highest dose - a $50 discount on current direct-to-patient prices-through the LillyDirect self-pay pharmacy channel. AJMC
• [New] Global GLP-1 sales will reach $140.79 billion by 2030, from $62.86 in 2025 and $53.5 billion in 2024 - a compound annual growth rate of 17%, compared with 6% for the overall pharma industry. Yahoo Finance
• [New] Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk will launch its blockbuster diabetes drug Ozempic in India this month, three sources familiar with the matter said, as it seeks to strengthen its foothold in the world's most populous nation. Economic Times
• [New] The World Health Organization has issued its first global guidance on the use of weight loss injections like Ozempic and Wegovy, warning that fewer than one in ten people who could benefit are currently able to access them. Bizclik Media Ltd
• [New] GLP-1 therapies will reach fewer than 10% of eligible patients by 2030. RadioOnTheGo.com
• [New] Novo Nordisk has played its voucher on a higher 7.2 mg injectable dose of semaglutide, the active ingredient in its Wegovy weight-loss brand, which it says offers greater weight loss potential in adults with obesity. Pharmaphorum
• [New] The name Ozempic 2.0 has been floating around on various outlets and on social media, as a trending nickname for the next generation of weight loss drugs that are in the works for 2026. Newsweek
• [New] As of early November, when Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly announced deals with the Trump administration, the starting dose of Zepbound will be available for $299 a month for people buying without using insurance. NPR
• [New] U.S.-listed shares of Novo Nordisk sank 5.5% as a trial to see whether the active ingredient in the Danish firm's blockbuster weight-loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy could help slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease did not confirm superiority of semaglutide versus placebo. Investopedia
• [New] Ozempic is approved to lower blood sugar levels in adults with type 2 diabetes, in addition to lowering the risk of heart attack, stroke, or death. Cornell Journal of Law and Public Policy
• [New] The FDA approved Ozempic, a GLP-1 RA, to reduce the risk of worsening kidney disease and cardiovascular death in adults with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease. Taking Control Of Your Diabetes
• [New] Novo Nordisk will lower its cash-pay prices for its GLP-1 drugs, Ozempic and Wegovy, down to $349 a month in advance of TrumpRx launching. MM+M - Medical Marketing and Media
• A secondary post hoc analysis of a phase 3 trial showed that treatment with semaglutide resulted in early reduction in risk of major adverse cardiovascular events in adult patients with obesity and established cardiovascular disease (CVD). Drug Topics
• Insurers have raised premiums by an average of 18% for 2026 due to higher medical costs, increased use of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, rising hospital prices driven by workforce shortages and consolidation, and concerns about a sicker risk pool if subsidies expire. MooLoo
• GLP-1 drug use was linked to a 0.77 adjusted hazard ratio for death and a higher likelihood of kidney transplant waitlisting. NYU Langone News

Last updated: 13 December 2025