Novo Nordisk CEO explains Levemir discontinuation
The highest of government of Novo Nordisk informed a Senate panel Tuesday it was a “tough alternative” to discontinue the long-acting insulin Levemir however he had to take action due to market forces.
The Danish drugmaker beforehand introduced it could cease gross sales of Levemir vials by the top of December. Novo Nordisk’s determination has been criticized by some sufferers with Sort 1 diabetes preferring Levemir over different long-acting “basal” insulins akin to Sanofi’s Lantus and Novo Nordisk’s Tresiba.
Throughout a Senate panel listening to Tuesday, Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen blamed insurance coverage protection obstacles and restricted manufacturing capability.
After the drugmaker slashed the record value of Levemir by 65% final 12 months, pharmacy managers restricted entry to the remedy. Because of this, insurance coverage protection of the insulin dropped sharply. Earlier than the worth lower, Jørgensen stated 90% of insurance coverage coated the insulin. After the worth lower, simply 35% of insurers coated the drug.
With fewer insurers paying for the remedy, Novo Nordisk prioritized manufacturing different insulins utilized by the corporate’s 30 million international prospects with Sort 1 diabetes.
“It was a tough alternative we needed to make to be sure that we might sustainably provide sufficient insulin for all folks with Sort 1 diabetes,” Jørgensen informed senators. “However I do acknowledge that it comes with some stress for particular person sufferers sadly.”
Lengthy-acting insulins lengthen the time between injections and permit sufferers to take care of baseline blood glucose ranges. Greater than 7 million U.S. sufferers use insulin merchandise. All sufferers with Sort 1 diabetes and a few with Sort 2 diabetes depend on insulin to outlive.
Sen, Maggie Hassan, D- New Hampshire, stated Levemir is a essential insulin and questioned the corporate’s determination to halt gross sales. In doing so, Novo Nordisk “interrupted the diabetes care plans of thousands and thousands of People,” Hassan stated.
The New Hampshire Democrat requested whether or not Novo Nordisk could be wiling to share the drug’s formulation with different producers who could be involved in making the life-saving remedy for consumes.
.Jørgensen stated Novo Nordisk hasn’t discovered every other firm keen to make the drug.
“If there’s a firm involved in manufacturing it, or the federal government desires to fabricate it, we’ll be completely happy to collaborate,” Jørgensen stated. “The fact is that the market is disappearing for Levemir,” attributable to diminished insurance coverage protection.
Hassan urged Jørgensen to proceed to seek for potential manufacturing companions. She desires the corporate to share particulars of any efforts to attempt to discover a manufacturing companion earlier than product gross sales halt on the finish of this 12 months.
Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, stated the Levemir discontinuation is a “actual blow” to households who rely upon the insulin.
In April, three Democrat senators blasted Novo Nordisk’s determination to halt Levemir in the US. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., stated the corporate’s determination to discontinue Levemir “did not consider affected person entry to inexpensive, long-acting insulin substitutes.”
