Denmark to Restrict how GLP-1 Drugs are used for the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes

The Danish Medicines Agency said on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, that the country will first use cheaper diabetes drugs on patients suffering from type 2 diabetes before the more expensive GLP-1 drugs like Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic.

According to the Medicines Agency, in 2023, around 50% of new patients suffering from type 2 diabetes began treatment with a reimbursed GLP-1 drug without first trying a cheaper alternative. However, the demand for Ozempic has risen sharply because of increasing demand from people who started using the diabetes drug for its weight loss effects.

Back in July last year, doctors and other prescribers in the UK were mandated to stop prescribing Ozempic to people who are not suffering from type 2 diabetes. The order was given following a shortage of GLP-1 drugs due to rising demand from off-label users.

The Danish Medicines Agency and the Medical Subsidy Board decide on the therapy that is most appropriate as well as whether the price of the drug—which is the determinant of how much the government spends on subsidies—is reasonable compared to the therapeutic benefits offered by the drug. Most diabetic medication types still receive subsidies. The new law will have a stricter provision for some GLP-1 analogs. 

Danish Medicines Agency will reimburse GLP-1 drug users under certain conditions

The Danish Medicines Agency expects nearly 50% of those using GLP-1 drugs to switch to a cheaper alternative. The agency also said it would continue to reimburse patients for GLP-1 drugs if there is no cheaper alternative for treating their condition.

The new regulation is expected to take effect on November 25 this year. The drugs that will be affected when the new regulation kicks in include Eli Lilly’s Trulicity and Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Rybelsus.

The less expensive counterparts are recommended on the same footing as GLP-1 drugs, according to the Medicines Agency. The so-called GLP-1 drugs are usually more expensive diabetics drugs compared to other diabetics medications like beta-cell stimulants, DPP-4 inhibitors, SGLT-2 inhibitors, and metformin.