In an interview Monday with CNBC’s Jim Cramer, novo nordisk CEO Mike Doesder suggested that the drug giant’s new pill format for its weight loss drug will make the drug, previously available only as an injection, available to more people.
“In fact, we’re seeing this pill have an expanded market for a lot of people who have been waiting for it,” Dusdahl said. “Mainly, I think the big barrier is the taboo.”
Dusdar said many people suffer from needle phobia and suggested there was a social taboo around injectable drugs. He also said that injectable GLP-1 carries a “refrigeration burden” not only for users but also for the supply chain. Doosder added that tablet and injectable GLP-1 have the same level of efficacy.
Wegovy manufacturers have developed the first GLP-1 tablet to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Novo Nordisk launched the drug in the United States last week.
Dusdar said about 100 million people in the United States are obese, but only about 15 million are using GLP-1 drugs. Many people don’t take their medications because they don’t have the money, he continued. Doosder said initial doses of the pill start at $149 and can cost $25 with insurance, which is less than what a typical patient would pay for an injection.
He advocated against custom-made GLP-1 combination drugs, many of which are substitutes for name-brand drugs. Although compounded products are often cheaper, the FDA has not reviewed them for safety and effectiveness.
“They are counterfeit products, so this should be completely illegal,” Dusdahl said. “And I’m very surprised that this is still legal in this country.”
