Ozempic Just Got a Massive Price Cut -- And GoodRx Stock Exploded

Novo Nordisk NVO just threw a curveball into the drug pricing debateslashing the cash price of Ozempic by nearly 50%. For $499 a month, uninsured patients in the US can now access the blockbuster diabetes drug through Novo's NovoCare platform, or via GoodRx GDRX, which joined forces with the Danish drugmaker in a surprise partnership. It's a strategic countermovetimed just days after rival Eli Lilly LLY hiked obesity shot prices in the UK and as Novo faces growing pressure from US lawmakers over steep domestic drug costs. According to Novo's US chief Dave Moore, this isn't just about headlinesit's about giving patients an alternative to questionable knockoff versions circulating in the market.

The market wasted no time reacting. Novo shares surged as much as 7.8% intraday on the back of the announcement, further buoyed by fresh FDA approval for Wegovy to treat a serious liver condition. GoodRx, meanwhile, staged a breakout of its ownrallying 39% in its biggest single-day move since 2020. CEO Wendy Barnes called the deal a win-win: millions of cost-conscious consumers already use GoodRx to hunt down cash prices, and Novo just handed them two of the hottest GLP-1 drugs in one package. With Wegovy already available for direct-to-consumer sales since March, Novo is now mirroring Lilly's earlier DTC pushjust with a pricing twist.

What's less visiblebut no less importantis the political backdrop. Both the Trump and Biden administrations have taken swings at Novo over its US pricing, with Trump even sending direct letters to drugmakers. Last year, Novo's former CEO was grilled by Congress as Ozempic became the poster child for the US-vs-world drug cost divide. Officially, Novo says this new pricing has nothing to do with Washington. Unofficially? The timing couldn't be more convenient. Whether it's a PR play, a volume game, or a way to undercut compounders eating into market share, one thing's clear: Novo's playing a different hand in the GLP-1 war.