WASHINGTON — Senate health committee chair Bernie Sanders said major drug middlemen have agreed not to limit coverage of Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy if the company lowers the prices of the treatments. It’s Sanders’ latest move to pressure Novo to cut the prices of the blockbuster diabetes and obesity therapies.

Hi, it’s Bob in New York. I’ve been writing about drug costs for years, and Ozempic and Wegovy turn out to be in a unique category. Before we get to that

For the millions of people living with diabetes or obesity, drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy can significantly improve their health.

Weight-loss drugs sell in Europe for a fraction of what they cost in the United States, a pattern that is typical for brand-name prescriptions.

The CEO of Novo Nordisk faced pointed questions about the cost of Ozempic and Wegovy on Capitol Hill Tuesday, as lawmakers pressed the Danish pharmaceutical giant to cut the prices of its blockbuster diabetes and obesity medications.