Medicare coverage of Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy could cost up to $145B annually

Novo Nordisk’s (NVO) weight loss drug Wegovy (semaglutide), which can be prescribed to Medicare beneficiaries who are both obese and have cardiovascular disease, could cost the system up to $145B per year.

If all beneficiaries who are eligible for Wegovy were to receive it, it would cost Medicare $34B to $145B annually, depending on the definition of established CVD, according to a report in the Annals of Internal Medicine.