Denmark may halt Ozempic subsidy for type 2 diabetes patients

[August 23, 2023]  OSLO (Reuters) - Denmark should stop subsidising the use of Ozempic and other so-called GLP-1 drugs for patients suffering from type 2 diabetes, and instead pay for cheaper drugs as a preferred first option, a public commission said in a recommendation issued on Tuesday.

The proposal will be subject to a hearing until Oct. 8, after which a decision will be made by the Danish Medicines Agency.

While GLP-1 drugs are significantly more expensive than other options, there is no general advantage in the treatment of patients suffering from type 2 diabetes, the commission said in a statement.

"As a result, they should not be the preferred choice for patients with type 2 diabetes," it said, while adding that exemptions could be made in certain cases.

A box of Ozempic, a semaglutide injection drug used for treating type 2 diabetes and made by Novo Nordisk, is seen at a Rock Canyon Pharmacy in Provo, Utah, U.S. March 29, 2023. REUTERS/George Frey/File Photo

Some 87,400 Danes received subsidized GLP-1 drugs for type 2 diabetes last year, according to the medicines agency.

Danish drug maker Novo Nordisk has seen a surge in demand for Ozempic and its sister drug Wegovy, a weight-loss medication based on similar ingredients.

(Reporting by Terje Solsvik; editing by Jason Neely)

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