To put that into perspective, annual cost of diabetes to America is $1,200 per capita ($1,300 adjusted for inflation [2]. 40% more than a month of Ozempic [3].
One twelfth of Americans have diabetes [4]. If the government could negotiate just a 10% bulk discount, the payback period on buying every American with diabetes Ozempic would be around a year. Even if everyone ceased treatment after that, even if you only did this for a couple years, we'd see a permanent boost in productivity and health across the American population.
Government could build their own plants, these drugs are not under patent, just the drug+delivery mechanism is. This says $5 per month as actual costs.
"Semaglutide is expected to become patent-free in the United States no earlier than December 2031" [1].
We could probably strike a volume deal for ~$200 for 5 years and then $75 (the upper end of your study’s estimate for manufacturing cost) for another 5.
To put that into perspective, annual cost of diabetes to America is $1,200 per capita ($1,300 adjusted for inflation [2]. 40% more than a month of Ozempic [3].
One twelfth of Americans have diabetes [4]. If the government could negotiate just a 10% bulk discount, the payback period on buying every American with diabetes Ozempic would be around a year. Even if everyone ceased treatment after that, even if you only did this for a couple years, we'd see a permanent boost in productivity and health across the American population.
[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37909353/
[2] https://www.usinflationcalculator.com
[3] https://ro.co/weight-loss/ozempic-cost-without-insurance/
[4] https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-statisti...