Trump Announces Landmark Price Cuts for Weight-Loss Medications
President Donald Trump has secured a deal with pharmaceutical giants to significantly reduce prices for popular weight-loss drugs, potentially making treatments like Wegovy and Zepbound accessible to millions more Americans. However, leading obesity specialists have raised concerns that the new pricing may still prove too expensive for long-term use, despite the welcomed reductions.
New Pricing Structure and Expanded Access
Under the agreement announced Thursday, Novo Nordisk will lower monthly prices for Wegovy to $350, while Eli Lilly has committed to pricing Zepbound at approximately $300 monthly for the lowest dose. For patients requiring higher doses, Zepbound's cost will increase to $450 per month - still below the current uninsured cost of around $500 monthly.
The most substantial changes will benefit Americans enrolled in Medicare, the government health programme for those aged 65 and older. Medicare recipients will see expanded eligibility for prescriptions and have their out-of-pocket costs capped at just $50 per month.
Both drug manufacturers have also pledged to launch a new generation of weight-loss pills priced between $149 and $399 monthly, pending regulatory approval for the US market.
Experts Question Long-Term Affordability
While welcoming the price reductions, obesity specialists highlight a critical challenge: many patients may still struggle to afford continuous treatment. Dr Caroline Apovian, an obesity specialist and Harvard Medical School professor, noted that "some people still can't pay at $350 per month and these are drugs that are needed to be taken forever."
The concern is particularly relevant given research showing that many patients regain weight after stopping medication. A recent Rand survey revealed that only about 12% of Americans have tried GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, despite obesity affecting 42% of the population.
Dr Leslie Golden, an obesity medicine physician from Wisconsin, suggested that "when monthly costs fall below $200, access to evidence-based treatment expands dramatically." While the new prices represent progress, they may not reach this crucial threshold for many patients.
Broader Implications for Healthcare System
The pricing agreement forms part of a government pilot programme that could become regular Medicare policy if it demonstrates that weight loss leads to reduced medical care for costly obesity-related conditions like heart disease.
Commercial health insurers are expected to benefit from prices approximately 25% lower than current cash rates. Medical professionals anticipate that the expanded Medicare coverage could encourage more employers to include weight-loss drugs in their benefit packages.
Dr Sarah Ro, medical director of the University of North Carolina Health's weight-management programme, described the developments as "wonderful news," particularly given that many patients had recently lost coverage for GLP-1 drugs through employer health plans.
The new pricing is scheduled to take effect no later than January for cash payers, by mid-2026 for Medicare patients, and on an ongoing basis for Medicaid enrollees as individual states join the programme.
