Four days ago, the FDA approved Novo Nordisk’s Rybelsus (oral semaglutide) (strengths: 7 mg, 14 mg) for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Today, according to FiercePharma, Novo Nordisk has announced the drug’s pricing at $26 per day, equivalent to $772 for a 30-tablet supply, with the same price applied across the 3 mg, 7 mg, and 14 mg strengths. During Novo Nordisk’s investor conference call on September 23, the company stated that the price of oral semaglutide would be comparable to that of the injectable formulation, alleviating prior concerns about potentially excessive pricing for this innovative therapy. Reportedly, the injectable semaglutide is priced at $770, while liraglutide is priced at $920.
Based on the previously disclosed cost data for oral semaglutide by Novo Nordisk, the consumption of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) for the oral formulation of semaglutide is relatively high; however, the formulation cost is significantly lower than that of the injectable form, resulting in only a slight increase in the overall cost.
On the other hand, Novo Nordisk stated that its market share in the diabetes sector has increased significantly since the launch of the injectable formulation of semaglutide two years ago. The company hopes that the oral formulation will achieve similar success without "cannibalizing" the market presence of its other products.