Novo Nordisk proposes 59% Wegovy discount for Brazil's SUS

Novo Nordisk proposed selling its weight-loss drug Wegovy to Brazil's public healthcare system, the SUS, at a 59% discount. The company said in a statement that the offer is restricted to patients living with obesity and cardiovascular disease. The proposal was submitted in May to Conitec, the body that evaluates scientific evidence before medicines enter public distribution.

The proposal coincides with a plan announced by Brazil's Ministry of Health on Thursday, September 17, to offer GLP-1 receptor agonists for free through the SUS. The government announcement included semaglutide, liraglutide, and tirzepatide, but did not define a purchase timeline, updated budget impact estimates, procurement volumes, or pricing rules. Health Minister Alexandre Padilha rejected opposition criticism linking the move to electoral strategy. In a previous assessment, Conitec estimated the cost of adding semaglutide and liraglutide to the SUS at more than BRL 8 billion, leading to the rejection of two earlier requests.

Novo Nordisk did not state which baseline price the 59% discount applies to. At pharmacy chain Drogasil, owned by RD Saude, a 1 mg Wegovy pen retailed on Monday, September 21, for BRL 999, which reflects a 24% manufacturer discount from its full price of BRL 1,314.38. Applying the 59% discount to that full retail price yields BRL 538.90 per pen. That proposed figure remains 16% higher than rival domestic semaglutide brands Ozivy from EMS and Semavy from Hypera, both priced at BRL 464.81 for a 1 mg pen after patent expiration in March.

Novo Nordisk pointed to data from its SELECT trial of 17,604 adults over roughly three and a half years, in which semaglutide 2.4 mg reduced the risk of major adverse cardiovascular events by 20%. To expand distribution in Brazil, Novo Nordisk partnered with Eurofarma, which produces licensed pens Poviztra and Extensior locally. Domestic competitor EMS said its plant in Hortolandia has a projected capacity of up to 40 million pens per year, while Eli Lilly noted it is monitoring the government discussions.