A field of Ozempic and contents sit on a desk in Dudley, North Tyneside, Britain, October 31, 2023. Lee Smith | ReutersThe blockbuster diabetes drug Ozempic may very well be manufactured for lower than $5 a month, whilst Novo Nordisk prices near $1,000 monthly for the injection within the U.S. earlier than insurance coverage, a examine launched Wednesday suggests.The examine, from researchers at Yale College, King’s School Hospital in London and the nonprofit Medical doctors With out Borders, raises extra questions in regards to the hefty price ticket of the top-selling diabetes therapy and related medicine for weight reduction, that are all a part of a brand new class of remedies known as GLP-1s.Demand for these medicines has soared during the last yr, whilst extra insurers drop them from their plans because of value, leaving some sufferers unable to afford the medicine. The examine additionally comes after years of political stress on Novo Nordisk and different drugmakers to slash excessive prices of diabetes care, particularly insulin. Ozempic can typically be produced for lower than varied types of insulin, in line with the examine revealed in JAMA Community Open. Extra CNBC well being coverageResearchers discovered {that a} month’s provide of the therapy may very well be manufactured for an estimated 89 cents to $4.73. They evaluated manufacturing prices for the weekly injection together with a revenue margin with an allowance for tax to supply these estimates, which they name “cost-based costs.” Novo Nordisk’s record worth for a month-to-month package deal of Ozempic is $935.77 earlier than insurance coverage and different rebates. The findings recommend that GLP-1s “can possible be manufactured for costs far under present costs, enabling wider entry,” the researchers concluded. In an announcement on Wednesday, Novo Nordisk declined to supply manufacturing prices for Ozempic and its weight reduction drug counterpart Wegovy. However the Danish drugmaker famous that it spent virtually $5 billion on analysis and growth final yr, and can spend greater than $6 billion on a latest deal to spice up manufacturing to fulfill demand for GLP-1s.It additionally mentioned 75% of its gross earnings go to rebates and reductions to make sure sufferers have entry to its merchandise. The corporate additionally mentioned out-of-pocket prices for Ozempic depend upon a affected person’s insurance coverage protection. Sufferers with personal or business protection for Ozempic can entry a financial savings card and pay as little as $25 for a one-month, two-month or three-month provide of the therapy for as much as 24 months. Separate analysis from the College of Liverpool and different researchers has discovered that Wegovy may very well be produced for $40 a month.A survey launched this month from Evercore ISI discovered that greater than half of individuals at the moment taking a GLP-1 mentioned they’re paying a month-to-month worth of $50 or much less out of pocket. Almost 75% of respondents who used to take one of many medicine mentioned they spent the identical quantity.Don’t miss these tales from CNBC PRO: