Cheaper Wegovy, 23andMe shutters, and RFK Jr. cuts FDA jobs: Pharma news roundup

Sales of Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy took a hit due to rising competition from off-brand, or compounded, versions of the treatment, according to the Danish pharma giant’s CEO Lars Fruergaard Jørgensen. He acknowledged that the “significant growth of compounding in the U.S.” appears to have affected Wegovy prescriptions in early 2025. For instance, the millennial-targeted telehealth company Hims & Hers started offering compounded semaglutide last May. The company’s total sales grew 69% last year to $1.5 billion.

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The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced Thursday that it plans to eliminate approximately 3,500 positions at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), even as the agency’s staff is reportedly struggling to meet product review deadlines. The layoffs are part of a broader workforce reduction at HHS, which will cut 10,000 full-time employees across multiple agencies. The announcement came on the same day that Reuters, citing unnamed sources, reported that FDA staff responsible for reviewing medical devices and tobacco products have been struggling to meet congressionally mandated deadlines, a challenge exacerbated by previous layoffs during the Trump administration.

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Just about a year after launching a direct-to-consumer online platform to sell treatments for diabetes and obesity, Eli Lilly (LLY) is now expanding the program to offer resources for Alzheimer’s disease. The company says the goal is to reduce the long wait times many patients face in getting an appointment with specialists. Unlike other conditions covered by LillyDirect, the Alzheimer’s resources won’t include mail-order pharmacy services for Lilly’s medications. Instead, the platform will focus on education and helping patients connect with independent healthcare providers.

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Genetic testing company 23andMe filed for bankruptcy protection Sunday in the latest stage of a rocky road that included weak consumer demand and a 2023 data breach that jeopardized the genetic data of millions of customers. 23andMe holds the genetic information of more than 15 million people worldwide. Ahead of the sale, some officials have started ringing the alarm for customers.The company does offer an option to permanently delete your account — 23andMe will stop using your DNA for research purposes, get rid of your genetic sample, and delete most of your genetic information from its databases. Deleting your account is irreversible. If you still want to go through with the process, here’s a step-by-step look at how to do it.

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Big Pharma is expected to see big returns from its investment in a class of drugs made famous by Novo Nordisk’s (NVO) popular diabetes drug Ozempic. Deloitte’s annual report, Measuring the Return from Pharmaceutical Innovation, found that GLP-1 drugs could fuel significant returns on research and development investments made last year by major drugmakers. The consulting firm analyzed the projected internal rate of return for late-stage pipeline assets across the 20 leading pharma companies. On average, these companies forecast peak sales of $510 million per asset. But when GLP-1s are excluded, that figure drops sharply to $370 million.

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Novo Nordisk, the maker of the blockbuster drug Ozempic, is cutting the price of its weight loss drug by more than half for even more patients that pay without insurance. The Danish pharma giant announced today that it is expanding its savings program, offering Wegovy for $499 a month at all local pharmacies in the U.S. That marks a steep discount — more than 60% off the drug’s $1,349.02 list price. Previously, this reduced price was only available through Novo Nordisk’s direct-to-consumer service, NovoCare Pharmacy.

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23andMe on Sunday filed for bankruptcy protection after struggling to combat weak demand for its DNA testing kit and the fallout of a data breach that effected millions of customers. The San Francisco-based biotechnology firm said it had entered Chapter 11 proceedings in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Missouri to facilitate a sale. It plans to continue operating through the proceedings. CEO Anne Wojcicki, who co-founded the company 19 years ago, said she would resign to help with the sale.

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Nothing drives down a drug’s price like competition. According the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), a drug’s wholesale price drops by an average of 39% after just one generic competitor enters the market. With four generic competitors, prices tumble by 79%. These reductions translate into billions of dollars in savings for American consumers. But before generics can hit the market, a drug’s patent must first expire. Here are some key drug patents expiring soon.