Novo CEO summoned on drug prices in U.S. Senate
Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen, the CEO of Novo Nordisk, has agreed to testify about the pricing of the diabetes medication Ozempic and the obesity drug Wegovy before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions in the USA, chaired by Bernie Sanders. Sanders has called for the drugs’ prices to be lowered, questioning why Americans pay significantly more than people in other countries. An earlier proposal to subpoena Novo Nordisk’s US chief, Doug Langa, has been canceled. Novo Nordisk rebuts Sanders’ claim of refusal to testify, stating they have co-operated previously. At a previous hearing, Jørgensen highlighted that official US prices do not reflect the substantial discounts offered, and mentioned that intermediary purchasing companies and insurance firms contribute to higher costs for patients. Jørgensen is expected to testify in early September.