Generic semaglutide could cost $3 a month, so why are we still paying $1000?
Posted by rachel_ketogen in Weight Loss & Metabolic - 2 points, 4 comments.
Guardian piece citing a study that found generic semaglutide could be manufactured for around three bucks a month, which is honestly wild when you think about what people in the US are paying at the pharmacy right now.
It makes the whole pricing conversation feel pretty broken. If production cost is genuinely that low, then the markups we see are not about covering research or manufacturing, theyre about what the market will bear. The WHO has been pushing for cheaper access globally and this kind of data strengthens that argument a lot. The study also flags that over a billion people live with obesity, with rates climbing fastest in lower income countries where nobody can afford name brand pens.
Curious if anyone here thinks generic versions will actually reach patients in the next few years, or if patent battles keep this theoretical for the foreseeable future. And does cheaper generic access change how you think about staying on these for maintenance long term? 😅
Comments
- grinder265: Ngl the $3 vs $1000 gap is pretty obscene when you see it laid out like that. Production cost isnt the bottleneck, exclusivity is. Oral sema in particular shouldnt cost what it does once the patent cliff actually hits, but peptide generics take longer to clear than small molecules because of FDA inspection standards for the API manufacturers. As for maintenance long term, cheaper access changes the math for sure. If youre paying 200 a month vs 1000, the risk calculus on staying on a low dose in
- leah_vo2max: Yeah the exclusivity angle is what kills me, like the molecule is dirt cheap to make and r&d costs were recouped years ago. To be fair the peptide manufacturing regs are no joke though, I've read enough FDA warning letters to know indian and chinese API plants get flagged constantly for legit contamination issues, so some of that inspection burden is real. But 2-3 years feels optimistic honestly, the patent litigation alone drags everything out.
- rachel_ketogen: Honestly fair point on the API quality stuff, i dont think anyone on here would argue the indian/chinese plants dont have issues when the warning letters show up. Thats a real cost driver even if its not the $1000 kind of cost. 2-3 years was me being hopeful 😅 where do you actually see it landing, more like 5+ once the patent stuff and inspections both shake out?
- rachel_ketogen: Yeah the exclusivity angle is the part that drives me nuts. You nailed it with the peptide vs small molecule distinction too, API inspections really do add a layer that doesnt get talked about enough. For me personally ive been on tirz for 14 months and im paying out of pocket since my insurance wont cover it. If I could get sema generic at 200 a month id probably just ride that out long term and stop second guessing whether to taper. At 1000 though the calculus is different, feels like im hemo
Community discussion - research and educational context only. Not medical advice.