Medicare Part D may cover Novo obesity drug, WSJ reports

Some Medicare members could get help paying for Novo Nordisk’s (NVO) weight-loss drug Wegovy, so long as they have a history of heart disease and are using it to prevent recurring heart attacks and strokes, Peter Loftus of Wall Street Journal reports. Medicare Part D drug-benefit plans, which are administered by private insurers, may cover anti-obesity medications if the drugs receive approval for an additional use that is considered medically accepted under federal law, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services told the Wall Street Journal. The new guidance applies to Novo’s Wegovy because the Food and Drug Administration this month approved a new use – to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes in people with a history of cardiovascular disease, Loftus notes. Shares of Novo traded off the day’s lows following the report but remain down 80c to $129.54.