By Patrick Wingrove

(Reuters) -U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders is ready to query Novo Nordisk (NYSE:) CEO Lars Jorgensen on Tuesday over the drugmaker’s costs for its in style weight-loss and diabetes medicines that may value People greater than $1,000 a month. 

Sanders is anticipated to problem the CEO throughout a listening to of the Senate Committee on Well being, Training, Labor and Pensions (HELP), which he chairs, on why the corporate expenses American payors extra for the lifesaving medicine than every other nation. 

Semaglutide, a drug within the GLP-1 class that’s marketed as Wegovy for weight reduction and Ozempic for type-2 diabetes, has been proven to assist sufferers lose a median of 15% of their weight.

Ozempic and Wegovy carry U.S record costs of $935.77 and $1,349.02, respectively, for a month’s provide, which Sanders has beforehand argued is way larger than the respective $59 and $92 worth tags they carry in some European nations. 

Jorgensen is anticipated to say that type-2 diabetes prices the US round $413 billion yearly, whereas weight problems prices $1.7 trillion yearly, in accordance with ready remarks seen by Reuters.

He’s additionally anticipated to say that sufferers typically battle to navigate the U.S. healthcare system, and that Novo will work with HELP “to deal with structural points that hurt sufferers and drive up prices”.

Jorgensen stated in a written assertion despatched to the committee that Novo had spent $4.2 billion on diabetes and weight problems analysis and improvement in 2023 alone.

He stated 99% of U.S. business insurance policy now cowl Ozempic and round half cowl Wegovy. Greater than 80% of U.S. sufferers with insurance coverage protection for the medicine pay lower than $25 for a month’s provide and 90% pay lower than $50, he added.

The CEO stated Novo Nordisk has dedicated $30 billion to develop manufacturing capability for the reason that begin of final yr, most of which has been directed to GLP-1 medicine, together with $4.1 billion to develop its facility in North Carolina final June.

Hovering demand for Ozempic and Wegovy and rival medicines from Eli Lilly (NYSE:) led to shortages of the medicine for a lot of this yr.

Ozempic prices have decreased about 40% since launch whereas these for Wegovy have equally declined for payors who obtain reductions, Jorgensen stated.

Sanders stated earlier this month that generic drugmakers have confirmed they may promote copycat variations of Ozempic for lower than $100 a month, and has beforehand stated the excessive value of those medicine had the potential to bankrupt the American well being system.

Jorgensen stated Ozempic will probably be eligible for U.S. authorities worth negotiations for its Medicare well being program in 2027, assuming its meets different authorized standards. The corporate has beforehand instructed analysts it expects Medicare to barter the costs of Ozempic and Wegovy for that yr.

New York led with an 8.8% annual acquire, adopted by Las Vegas at 8.2% and Los Angeles at 7.2%. Portland had the smallest improve at 0.8%, unchanged from June.

Month-Over-Month Progress Flat

Month-over-month, the U.S. Nationwide Index elevated by solely 0.1% earlier than seasonal adjustment. Each the 10-Metropolis and 20-Metropolis Composites had been flat. After seasonal changes, the nationwide index rose 0.2%, whereas each composites noticed a modest 0.3% improve. Eight of the 20 tracked cities recorded month-to-month value declines.

Low-Priced Properties Lead Positive factors

Properties within the cheaper price tiers proceed to outperform. Tampa’s low-tier properties gained 88% over 5 years, whereas New York’s low-price section drove an annual improve of 10.8%. Nonetheless, high-price tiers in cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles are additionally performing effectively, benefiting wealthier householders however complicating entry for first-time patrons.

Regional and Nationwide Developments

The Northeast stays the best-performing area, with New York topping the marketplace for the third straight month. The Midwest additionally noticed all-time highs, whereas the South skilled slower development, although it contains a number of top-performing markets since 2020.

The FHFA reported a 0.1% rise in U.S. house costs in July, up 4.5% from a yr earlier. Progress was strongest within the East North Central and New England areas.

Market Forecast: Cooling Forward

Whereas house costs proceed to rise, the tempo is slowing. With declining mortgage charges, affordability might enhance, however general development is prone to stay modest. The short-term outlook is cautiously bullish, particularly for lower-priced properties.

US shares picked up on Tuesday, extending a as pro-rate-cut Fedspeak and China’s launch of aggressive stimulus lifted market spirits.

Shares initially rallied following the announcement earlier than paring these beneficial properties. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite () popped about 0.5% whereas the S&P 500 () rose greater than 0.1%. The Dow Jones Industrial Common () was up practically 0.1%.

Shares have proven momentum because the prospect of a Federal Reserve curiosity rate-cutting marketing campaign and an apparently resilient economic system spurs confidence in a coming rally. Some on Wall Avenue now forecast the this 12 months — an enormous milestone lower than 5% away.

The Fed’s final week kicked off the rally, and on Monday, a number of policymakers hinted the . On Tuesday Fed governor Michelle Bowman, she dissented to final week’s half a proportion level rate of interest minimize as a result of “upside dangers to inflation stay outstanding.”

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Additionally boosting the temper was China’s launch of a , its largest because the pandemic. and oil (, ) after the PBOC’s transfer to revive a slowing economic system and assist markets.

On the company entrance, beleaguered aircraft maker Boeing () took what it referred to as a “finest and last supply” on to putting manufacturing unit employees after their union .