The GLP-1 drug Wegovy tops the list of medications expected to be included in the next round of Medicare price negotiations, according to a paper in the Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy.
Last month, Medicare officials unveiled prices for the first 10 drugs chosen for negotiation. Now, all eyes are on which Part D drugs will be chosen for the next round of 15 drugs. Medicare will announce that list by Feb. 1, and the negotiated prices of those drugs take effect in 2027.
Medicare doesn’t cover drugs used for weight loss, but Wegovy made the list because it is also approved to reduce major heart complications, according to the paper’s authors. Wegovy contains the same active ingredient, semaglutide, as Ozempic and Rybelsus, which help manage blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Novo Nordisk makes the drugs, and Medicare is expected to negotiate prices of all three in the next round.
