A pharmacist displays boxes of Ozempic, a semaglutide injection drug used for treating type 2 diabetes made by Novo Nordisk, at Rock Canyon Pharmacy in Provo, Utah, U.S. March 29, 2023. George Frey | ReutersOzempic, the blockbuster diabetes treatment from Novo Nordisk, could be next in line in the price negotiations between manufacturers and Medicare. The Biden administration this week released the first 10 drugs that will be subject to those talks, a process that aims to lower the prices of medications that Medicare Part D spends the most on. The changes will take effect by 2026. Ozempic will likely be eligible for negotiations by the time the next round of drugs is selected in 2025, for price changes that will go into effect in 2027.Several analysts expect the weekly injection to be a top choice because Medicare Part D already spent more than $2 billion on the drug in 2021 — an amount close to some of the medicines chosen for price talks this week. Total Part D spending in 2021 was $98 billion.They assume that Medicare will spend a great deal on Ozempic in the coming years, given the fervent demand for the drug and similar treatments that can help patients shed unwanted pounds. “Ozempic is going to be the biggest one that people are going to watch really closely in the second round of negotiations,” Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Louise Chen told CNBC. Novo Nordisk’s Rybelsus, a diabetes drug taken orally, could also be on the list because it contains the same active ingredient …
