Wegovy won’t be in Canadian public drug plans as Novo Nordisk refuses talks

Negotiations that could have led to coverage of weight-loss drug Wegovy under Canadian public health plans are not moving forward.

Novo Nordisk , the Denmark-based parent company of Wegovy, had been approached about talks to bring down the cost of the medication by securing coverage under Canada’s public health system.

Canada’s Drug Agency, a non-profit that looks at the cost-effectiveness of different medications, asked the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance, which negotiates prices for drugs on behalf of provincial, territorial and federal governments, to talk with Novo Nordisk.

According to the pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance on its website, those negotiations have “concluded without agreement (manufacturer declined negotiation).”

Canada’s Drug Agency said in its July reco