Ozempic, the appetite suppressant injection also known as semaglutidecurrently EXPENCES $935.77 US without insurance. But a new research report by Yale University, King's College Hospital London and Doctors Without Borders published in JAMA Network Open Wednesday suggests the price of the prescription drug could drop to a fraction of what it is now, while still generating a profit.

The researchers calculated cost-based prices for one month of Ozempic, administered as an injection of 0.77 mg per week, by combining data on commercial commercial shipments from January 1, 2016 to March 31, 2023 with the cost of making the drug, the costs of other operating expenses, a profit margin and taxes. They found that Ozempic's cost-based prices ranged from $0.89 to $4.73 per month.

“The findings of this study suggest that insulins, SGLT2Is, and GLP1A could be produced for much lower prices than current prices, enabling wider access,” the researchers wrote.

^{A pharmacist holds a box of Novo Nordisk A/S Ozempic brand semaglutide medication. Photo: George Frey/Bloomberg via Getty Images}

Ozempic costs less outside the US – a Bloomberg the report found that a month's supply of the injection costs under $300 in Mexico.

“Outside the US, countries have different regulatory requirements regarding drug pricing, including negotiation with relevant government entities,” Ozempic maker Novo Nordisk told Bloomberg.

Connected: FDA seizes 'thousands' of fake Ozempic units amid reported cases of 'adverse reactions' in patients

Drug labeling has long been under national scrutiny, with Martin Shkreli, the former head of Turing Pharmaceuticals, forced to pay 64 million dollars in the year 2022 after blowing the price of a life-saving medicine by 4000%.

According to Mayo Clinic.

Prescriptions of GLP-1 drugs increased by 300% between 2020 and 2022, Trilliant Health the researchers found. Ozempic first made headlines in 2021 when he appeared on Dr. The Oz Show.

Connected: Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic, is suing spas and clinics for allegedly selling knockoffs

Ozempic and other similar drugs can cause an average weight loss of 15% to 20%, “significantly higher than previous options,” according to Columbia Surgery.

The same publication warns of the lifelong commitment that Ozempic requires, as discontinuing the drug can lead to regaining all the weight. The drug can also cause nausea, cramps and other unpleasant side effects.

Despite the high cost and possible weaknesses, Ozempic rose into the sky in popularity last year, with 66% of its more than $13 billion in sales coming from the US, according to Novo Nordisk 2023 Annual report.

Connected: Novo Nordisk is worth more than Denmark's GDP thanks to America's Ozempic and Wegovy madness