Ozempic & Wegovy: A Potential Gamechanger

Dear Fellow Vermonter, 

FACT: The American people pay, by far, the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs. 

The result of this absurd reality is that, while pharmaceutical companies are making billions in profits every year, 1 out of 4 Americans cannot afford the medicine their doctors prescribe.

The result is that tens of thousands of people die unnecessarily because they can’t afford the high cost of health care in this country. 

The result is that the outrageous cost of prescription drugs drives up hospital bills and private insurance costs, and is a huge burden on taxpayers.

How insane is that? You are sick. You go to the doctor. The doctor makes their diagnosis and prescribes medicine to help you get better. But you can’t afford that medicine. So you get sicker and you end up in the hospital. 

I have one word for you: Unacceptable. 

That is why I have been working hard to bring down prescription drug costs in this country. And let me be clear: We have made some good progress. As a result of our efforts, seniors with diabetes are now paying no more than $35 a month for insulin; millions of Americans with asthma are paying no more than $35 for the inhalers they need to breathe; seniors will soon pay no more than $2,000 a year out-of-pocket for their prescription drugs; and, for the first time in American history, Medicare is now able to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies to lower the cost of some of the most expensive drugs. 

While I am proud of these achievements, much more needs to be done to take on the greed of the pharmaceutical industry.

I am sure you have heard about the prescription drugs: Ozempic and Wegovy. These products have the potential to be a gamechanger for the millions of Vermonters and Americans who are struggling with Type 2 diabetes and obesity. Some estimates show that more than 40,000 lives per year could be saved if these products were affordable and accessible in the U.S. But, as effective as these drugs are, they will not do anyone any good if people cannot afford them.

Today, people in Vermont and throughout the country are paying 10 to 15 times more for Ozempic and Wegovy compared to people in other countries. That cannot be allowed to continue and is why I have been working hard to substantially reduce those prices.  

Tomorrow, as Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, I will be leading a hearing on this very issue with the CEO of Novo Nordisk, the company that makes these drugs. I, and other members of the Committee, will be asking him why his company continues to rip off the American people. 

I hope you will take a moment to watch the video above to learn more about some of our efforts on this. If you’d like to tune into the hearing on Tuesday, you can do so HERE.

Bottom line is this: Our health care system is in crisis. The business model of the pharmaceutical industry is unsustainable. It is time for that to change. 

Sincerely,