Dive Brief:
- The GKV-Spitzenverband would like to price Novo's diabetes med Tresiba (insulin degludec) at the level of ordinary human insulin. And Novo is saying, "No way."
- Currently, 40,000 diabetics in Germany are using Tresiba.
- This decision underscores the incresing tension between drug manufacturers and payers over drug pricing.
Dive Insight:
In the face of price restraints in which the German government wants to price long-lasting Tresiba, which is effective for up to 42 hours, like traditional insulin, Novo Nordisk is taking its drug off the market at the end of September 2015.
Given that traditional human insulin requires at least two shots per day, according to the American Association of Family Physicians, and sometimes three to four, Tresiba offers a major improvement over traditional insulin options, and potentially a way to improve long-term glycemic control.
Despite these arguments, the German government is standing by its pricing decision—at least for now.