MADRID, 18 (EUROPA PRESS)
Shares of Danish laboratory Novo Nordisk rose as much as 7.78% on the Copenhagen Stock Exchange on Monday after the pharmaceutical company reported that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had approved an additional indication for 'Wegovy' for the treatment of liver disease and that the company had announced a price reduction for 'Ozempic' for patients in the U.S. who are not covered by health insurance.
According to the Danish company, the FDA has approved an additional indication for 'Wegovy' for the treatment of non-cirrhotic metabolic syndrome-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) in adults with moderate to advanced liver fibrosis.
The accelerated approval is based on the first part of the ESSENCE trial, in which Wegovy demonstrated statistically significant and superior improvement in liver fibrosis without worsening of steatohepatitis, as well as resolution of steatohepatitis without worsening of liver fibrosis, compared to placebo.
“Wegovy is now uniquely positioned as the first and only approved GLP-1 treatment for MASH, complementing the already demonstrated weight loss, cardiovascular benefits, and extensive evidence base for semaglutide,” said Martin Holst Lange, Executive Vice President, Chief Scientific Officer and Head of Research and Development at Novo Nordisk.
Meanwhile, the pharmaceutical company announced this Monday that it has lowered the cost of Ozempic in the US market to $499 per month, down from the previous $1,000, for patients without health insurance coverage.
"While Ozempic is widely covered in the U.S., let's not forget that some patients pay out of pocket for this life-saving medicine. We believe that if even one patient feels the need to turn to unapproved, potentially unsafe imitation alternatives, that's one too many," said Dave Moore, executive vice president of U.S. operations at Novo Nordisk.
The multinational has also announced that, "for the first time," Ozempic will be available for home delivery through NovoCare, while the offering will also be accessible through Ozempic.com and NovoCare.com.
Novo Nordisk shares were up 6.63% before the close, having risen as much as 7.78% during the day. However, so far this year, the Danish pharmaceutical company's shares have fallen by more than 45%.
