Soaring Costs Force Ozempic Users to Stop Taking Weight-Loss Drug

As Ozempic and other weight-loss medications skyrocket in price, many people who used them to successfully lose weight have had to revert back to life without what some call the "miracle" drugs.

Pharmaceutical companies raised prices on a range of medications this month, but for those relying on Ozempic and Mounjaro to hit their weight loss goals, the cost surge was felt especially hard.

Novo Nordisk, the company that produces diabetes and weight-loss drug Ozempic, upped its prices by 3.5 percent to $984.29 monthly. Meanwhile, Eli Lilly, which makes a similar drug called Mounjaro, raised prices by 4.5 percent to $960, according to 46brooklyn Research.

Many patients are now priced out of the already expensive medications, especially if they didn't have a prescription, or a diabetes diagnosis.

Gina Hardin, a 56-year-old living in Los Angeles, said she's been priced out of both Mounjaro and Ozempic because she's unable to get a prescription for either. She started on Mounjaro initially, after finding a $25 monthly coupon for the weight-loss drug that she calls "miraculous."

"I can definitely tell you my eating habits and the way I feel are completely different," Hardin told Newsweek. "I never felt hungry at all to the point where I thought I should've felt hungrier. I lost weight so quickly it was bizarre."

That was until the end of 2022 when she couldn't get the drug at the same price, and she switched to Ozempic, which Hardin said doesn't work "nearly as well."

Hardin said she's noticed a change in her social circles with the way they discuss weight loss. One woman she met told her "everybody at my tennis club is half the size that they used to be because they're all doing injections."

While not obese or diagnosed with diabetes, Hardin said she still has around 20 pounds to lose to be at her healthiest.

"I've gone through menopause, and I still feel pretty good, but I can't get the weight off and taking these drugs changed everything," Hardin said.

She knows she's not alone, as the majority of Americans likely can't afford to make the near $1,000 monthly payment to help them slim down.

"It's out of reach for most people and quite frankly people who might benefit the most statistically speaking. Lower middle income people tend to have more weight issues," Hardin said.

While Hardin says her insurance covers Wegovy, she said that medication is "impossible to find" and it's routinely out of stock at 20 nearby pharmacies.

"I paid over $1,000 to get Ozempic because I recognize that it's beneficial to me and it is worth the costs," Hardin said. "I'm financially stable enough to do that once or twice, but don't have $12,000 available per year."

So what's triggering the price surges?

Jon Conradi, a spokesperson for The Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing, said pharmaceutical companies are bringing a "profiteering approach" to a market that has recently expanded outside of just diabetes treatment, as inevitably many will pay to see weight-loss results.

"Big Pharma's price-gouging playbook is on full display around this category of highly anticipated weight-loss drugs, including targeting the U.S. for the highest prices in the world, setting egregious prices amid widespread interest and hiking prices at rates outpacing inflation," Conradi told Newsweek.

The rate of inflation was 3.4 percent in December.

Newsweek reached out to Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly for comment via email.

"Novo Nordisk increases the list price of some of our medicines each year in response to changes in the healthcare system, market conditions, and the impact of inflation," Allison Schneider, Novo Nordisk's director of media relations and issue management, told Newsweek. "However, annual price increases for our U.S. medicines have not exceeded single-digit percentages since 2016."

Schneider also said the list price, while set by Novo Nordisk, is not representative of out-of-pocket costs for most insured patients.

"These payers then work directly with health insurance companies to set prices and co-pay amounts," Schneider said. "The actual price patients with commercial or government insurance pay at the pharmacy is decided by their insurer."

"We also recognize that affordability challenges are real for many patients and not all situations are the same. To help as many patients as possible, Novo Nordisk continues to offer a variety of affordability options for people with or without insurance."

With Price Hikes, Are the Drugs Sustainable?

For those who are excluded from Ozempic and Mounjaro by the price increases, it's common to see the pounds come racing back, even after months of sustained progress.

"Financially, these price hikes make it challenging for individuals to continue their medication and stay on track with their weight-loss goals," Sean Klein, a certified personal trainer and the founder of the Programme app, told Newsweek.

"Psychologically, the increase in prices has also discouraged individuals from seeking out these drugs, thinking that they are not worth the cost. This potentially leads to a sense of hopelessness and defeat."

Many of Klein's clients are struggling now that they're off weight-loss medications, and much of their progress can be lost.

The long-term sustainability of drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro has long been questioned in the medical world, whether due to their cost or the side effects.

One study from University College London researchers found that 45 percent of 600 patients prescribed these types of medications between 2009 and 2017 had stopped taking the drug within a year. Within two years, that rate grew to 65 percent.

And for many patients, the initial weight loss isn't sustainable as appetite cues return to pre-Ozempic levels.

Barb Herrera, who runs the website HealthAtAnyCost.com and has lost 182 pounds over the course of two years, said Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk often provide coupons with the hefty discounts that Hardin once took advantage of.

However, when the discounts end, many have to abandon the medications.

"There are times when people resent the pharmaceutical companies for getting them started on the medications, knowing full well they will be committed to them, possibly for life," Herrera told Newsweek. "Yet patients have limited funds and insurance refuses to pay for their health and well-being. It's frustrating all around."

Have you had to stop taking Ozempic or another weight-loss drug due to the cost? Newsweek wants to hear from you. Contact us at personalfinance@newsweek.com.