By Ludwig Burger
FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Novo Nordisk said on Friday its popular weight-loss drug Wegovy will cost 301.91 euros ($338.35) for four weeks of treatment at the highest dose in Germany, as the Danish drugmaker prepares for a market launch in Europe’s largest pharmaceutical market at the end of this month.
In a statement, the company said that German pharmacies will be able to place orders for the weekly injection with wholesale distributors from next week and people in Germany with a prescription will likely be able to fill it at a pharmacy at the end of this month.
Novo previously flagged it would start selling the hugely popular obesity drug in Germany this month, its third European market, but only people who pay from their own pocket or have certain private health insurance plans will be able to get it.
In Europe, it is only available in Norway and Denmark, where it costs between $160 and $350 per month without reimbursement from private insurers.
In Germany, the starter dose of 0.25 milligram will be priced at 171.92 euros for 28 days, which works out at about 187 euros for a month, according to Reuters calculations.
The dosage of the weekly injection is gradually stepped up over 16 weeks to level off at the maintenance dose of 2.4 milligrams.
The monthly costs for patients in Germany for the maintenance dose work out at 328 euros.
($1 = 0.8923 euros)
(Reporting by Ludwig Burger; Editing by Friederike Heine and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
