Presented by Prevent Cancer Foundation — The CEO of Novo Nordisk will testify in the Senate HELP Committee tomorrow about the cost of popular diabetes and weight loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy.{beacon} Health Care Health Care    The Big Story Novo CEO to blame drug middlemen The CEO of Novo Nordisk plans to blame drug middlemen for the high cost of popular diabetes and weight loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy during a Senate hearing Wednesday.© Novo Nordisk via Associated Press “We do not control what patients pay for their medications,” Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen said in written testimony submitted to the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) panel ahead of the hearing.  “Overall, we pay 75 cents of every dollar of medicine we sell back into this complex system in rebates, discounts, and fees—meaning the ‘net’ price Novo Nordisk ultimately receives for the medicines it sells is far below the published ‘list’ price,” he added.   Jorgensen said Novo spent hundreds of billions of dollars to develop the drugs, but because of the money paid to pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), the price that Novo is actually paid for Ozempic has declined by about 40 percent.  “While the rebates we pay to PBMs and insurers as a share of each dollar earned have increased dramatically over the last decade, this has not resulted in a proportionate reduction in out-of-pocket costs for patients at the pharmacy counter,” he said.  Blaming the PBMs is a familiar argument from drug companies, while the intermediaries point the finger at pharmaceutical companies.  “PBMs are the only entities in the health care system working to mitigate the impact on patients, employers, and taxpayers of Big Pharma’s outrageous prices on blockbuster GLP-1s facing minimal competition,” said the PBM trade group Pharmaceutical Care Management Association (PCMA).   The Senate HELP Committee, led by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), opened an investigation into the “outrageously high prices” of the diabetes and weight loss drugs in April. Jorgensen agreed in June to testify, after Sanders had threatened him with a subpoena.    “The American people are sick and tired of paying, by far, the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs. They deserve to hear from Mr. Jorgensen,” Sanders said in a statement ahead of the hearing.  Sanders said Novo Nordisk charges Americans with diabetes far more for Ozempic than people in other countries. Ozempic in the U.S. costs $969 a month, while this same drug can be purchased for $155 in Canada, $122 in Denmark and $59 in Germany.    Americans with obesity pay $1,349 a month for Wegovy, while Sanders said the same product can be purchased for just $186 in Denmark, $140 in Germany and $92 in the United Kingdom.   Novo Nordisk has made nearly $50 billion in sales from these two products alone, he noted.    Welcome to The Hill’s Health Care newsletter, we’re Nathaniel Weixel, Joseph Choi and Alejandra O'connell-Domenech — every week we follow the latest moves on how Washington impacts your health.  Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here.  Essential Reads How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond:  Pentagon to spend $500M on women’s health researchFirst lady Jill Biden announced Monday that the Pentagon intends to commit $500 million to women’s health research as part of a broader White House push to increase funding for the study of women’s health. Jill Biden attended a Clinton Global Initiative event alongside Chelsea Clinton to announce the new investment. The Defense Department money will fund research on conditions such as ovarian cancer, rheumatoid …  Full Story  Wyden presses hospitals for answers about delayed or denied emergency abortion careA top Senate Democrat is pressing hospitals in states with abortion bans about how they are complying with a federal emergency care law, following reports about women who need emergency reproductive care being turned away.  Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) sent letters Monday to eight hospitals in Georgia, Texas, Missouri, Florida, Louisiana and North Carolina asking about specific policies and procedures …  Full Story  How America’s health care system fails women in pain For 20 years, doctors told Diana Falzone her pain was normal. “Well, that’s just how it is for some women,” she remembers one saying after she began experiencing unusually heavy and “very, very painful” periods when she was 12 or 13. “Some women have it harder than others.”  During another visit, she recalls rating the severity of her pain at a 10 on a 10-point scale. “You’re a 10?” the provider asked her. “Are you sure …  Full Story   On Our Radar Upcoming news themes and events we're watching: The Senate Finance Committee holds a Tuesday hearing on state abortion bans and access to care   The CEO of Novo Nordisk testifies Tuesday at a Senate HELP Committee hearing on the price of Ozempic and Wegovy  A House Oversight subcommittee holds a Thursday hearing on the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act and Medicare Part D   Around the Nation Local and state headlines on health care: She was accused of murder after losing her pregnancy. SC woman now tells her story (KFF Health News).  A dramatic rise in pregnant women dying in Texas after abortion ban (NBC News)  Florida’s new COVID booster guidance is straight-up misinformation (KFF Health News)  What We're Reading Health news we've flagged from other outlets: A mysterious anti ‘Big Pharma’ bus is barnstorming swing states (Stat)  Trump, contending with unpopular GOP abortion bans, turns focus to women (The 19th)  Trump vows to ‘save’ vaping after private meeting with vaping lobbyist (Washington Post)  What Others are Reading  Most read stories on The Hill right now: Pressure grows on Trump to accept second Harris debate The pressure is on former President Trump to debate Vice President Harris again now that she has accepted a CNN invite for an October match-up, with … Read more Ex-CIA chief: Pager blasts in Lebanon are ‘terrorism’ Former CIA director Leon Panetta has labeled last week’s deadly pager explosions in Lebanon as a form of “terrorism” and warned that the Middle East … Read more What People Think Opinions related to health submitted to The Hill: ProPublica’s abortion disinformation goes nationalThe hidden costs of our dietary guidelines    Close Thank you for signing up! Subscribe to more newsletters here The latest in politics and policy. Direct to your inbox. Sign up for the Health Care newsletter Subscribe