Mounjaro listed at $1,023 a month in the U.S. versus $444 in the Netherlands, analysis finds
The analysis puts U.S. list prices for tirzepatide and semaglutide several times higher than in peer nations, a gap that shapes what uninsured patients and health plans face.
List prices for a month of Mounjaro (tirzepatide, 15 mg) were $1,023 in the United States, $444 in the Netherlands and $319 in Japan, according to an analysis published August 17, 2023 by the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker [1]. The U.S. figure was more than twice the Dutch price and more than three times the Japanese price [1].
The analysis compared list prices for four products: Ozempic (semaglutide injection, 1 mg), Rybelsus (semaglutide tablets, 7 mg), Wegovy (semaglutide injection, 2.4 mg) and Mounjaro [1]. Prices covered four weekly shots or 30 days at maintenance dosing and came from website searches as of August 15, 2023, converted to dollars at exchange rates as of June 30, 2023 [1].
For Ozempic, the U.S. list price of $936 a month was over five times Japan's $169 and about ten times the prices in Sweden ($96), the United Kingdom ($93), Australia ($87) and France ($83) [1]. Rybelsus was listed at $936 in the U.S., over four times the Netherlands price of $203 [1]. Wegovy was listed at $1,349 in the U.S., compared with $328 in Germany and $296 in the Netherlands [1].
Those are list prices, not the net prices insurers and patients ultimately pay. Manufacturers offer rebates to insurers and coupons to patients, and the analysis notes that privately insured patients can get Wegovy coupons of $225 per 28-day supply for up to a year if their plan covers the drug, or $500 per 28-day supply if their plan does not [1]. Insurers and employers may also negotiate lower prices or larger rebates [1].
Availability differed by country. Wegovy was on the market in only a few European Union countries and was not available in Australia at the time, in part because of shortages affecting people who use semaglutide for diabetes [1]. In the United Kingdom, Mounjaro had not been recommended because of insufficient evidence on its efficacy and cost-effectiveness [1].
The analysis also compared obesity rates, reporting that 33.5% of U.S. adults have obesity against an average of 17.1% across peer nations [1]. KFF polling cited in the analysis found about half of U.S. adults would be interested in taking a prescription weight-loss drug, with interest dropping if the drug is not covered by insurance or after hearing that patients might gain weight back after stopping [1].
Why it matters for patients
Coverage rules vary widely, so the same drug can carry very different costs depending on where a patient lives and what plan they have. Medicare is not allowed to cover weight-loss drugs under current law, Medicaid coverage varies by state, and private insurers and employers are still deciding whether and how to cover them, the analysis says [1]. That means list price matters most to people who pay cash or pay for a drug before a deductible is met.
The analysis also notes that higher U.S. prices combined with the country's higher obesity rate could mean a larger effect on total U.S. health spending than in peer nations, where both prices and obesity rates are lower [1].
Some basic questions remain open. Research on long-term health effects and side effects is still emerging, and it is unclear whether patients would need to take these drugs for the rest of their lives or in combination with other treatments [1]. The analysis reports list prices only; the net prices paid after rebates, and how much patients actually pay out of pocket, have not been disclosed [1].
Sources
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