US Senator Bernie Sanders said on Tuesday that major generic pharmaceutical companies have confirmed that they can sell generic versions of the diabetes drug Ozempic for less than $100 per month.$Novo-Nordisk A/S (NVO.US)$Generic versions of the diabetes drug Ozempic can be sold for less than $100 per month.

Lars Jorgensen, CEO of Novo Nordisk, will testify next week at the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), which is chaired by Sanders. The focus of the hearing will be the pricing of Novo Nordisk's popular drugs Ozempic and Wegovy in the United States.

Sanders stated that he has had discussions with several CEOs of major generic drug manufacturers in the past few months.

Sanders said, "They have looked into it and told me that they can sell generics of Ozempic to Americans for less than $100 per month."

Sanders did not disclose the names of the company executives he spoke with. The patent for Ozempic in the United States will not expire until 2032.

Some analysts predict that the total market size for weight loss drugs will reach $150 billion by 2030. Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly (LLY.US) dominate this market.

However, American legislators have criticized the high cost of these drugs.

Novo Nordisk's website shows that Ozempic is priced at $935.77 per month in the USA, while Wegovy is priced at $1,349.02 per month, although most consumers pay a lower price.

Editor/ping