STAT+: Pharmalittle: We’re reading about Trump’s drug-price claims, a Novo deal for obesity drugs, and more

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Source: STAT News

Original: https://www.statnews.com/pharmalot/2026/02/25/trump-pharma-novo-obesity-novartis...

Published: Wed, 25 Feb 2026 14:47:01 +0000

In his State of the Union address, President Trump claimed to have raised the cost of prescription drugs in the US from the highest in the world to the lowest.[1] Novo Nordisk announced that it will reduce the list prices of its weight loss and diabetes drugs Wegovy, Ozempic, and Rybelsus to $675 per month starting in January 2027, a reduction of up to 50% from the original prices of approximately $1,350 for Wegovy and $1,000 for Ozempic and Rybelsus.[1] This reduction may help patients with high copays or high deductible policies because it is calculated from the list price.[1] However, the change will not affect the net price that insurance companies pay after discounts, or the cash payments of uninsured patients.[1] The company entered into an agreement with US startup Vivtex to develop oral biologics against obesity and diabetes, where Vivtex can receive up to $2.1 billion plus royalties.[2][3] Vivtex was founded in 2018 by MIT scientists including Robert Langer, Giovanni Travers, and Thomas von Erlach.[2][3] Novo Nordisk already launched the first oral biologic Rybelsus for diabetes in 2019, and they approved an oral form of Wego at the end of 2025.[2]