Soaring cost of diabetes drugs highlighted by report

28 February 2025

Medicare Part D spending for 10 selected diabetes drugs in the USA totaled $35.8 billion in 2023, an increase of 364% from 2019.

That is the headline finding from data presented by the US Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General (OIG).

The number of Medicare Part D enrollees increased during this period from 44.9 million to 50.5 million, a 12% rise. The major reason for the jump in spending was the cost of GLP-1 products, such as Novo Nordisk’s (NOV: N) Ozempic (semaglutide).

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