RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — North Carolina State Treasurer Dale Folwell said Wednesday that the newly approved weight loss medication Zepbound would not be covered under the State Health Plan.
The drug was approved by the Federal Drug Administration on Wednesday.
Folwell explained that since the drug contains GLP-1. In October, the health plan’s Board of Trustees enacted a moratorium on new users of GLP-1 drugs for the purpose of weight loss.
“Pursuant to that action by the Board, the new medication will also not be covered for the purpose of weight loss,” Folwell said in a news release.
He went on to say Zepbound contains the same active ingredient that is in Mounjaro which the State Health Plan added to its approved list of pharmaceuticals for the purpose of treating diabetes, effective Jan. 1, 2024.
“During the meeting, the Board cited the cost of Wegovy and Saxenda, more than $800 per user per month, as being the reason for the moratorium,” Folwell said.
Danish multinational Novo Nordisk currently sells GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy and Saxenda for the purpose of weight loss for $296 per month in Denmark but charges more than $800 per month in the United States.
Folwell said he’d like to see Americans “pay the same” as the Danish for these medications.
