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Danish pharmaceutical manufacturer Novo Nordisk will launch its copy <\/a>of its diabetes treatment Ozempic in South Africa at a 15% discount to the original product, it confirmed on Thursday. <\/p>\n It will be the first registered alternative to Ozempic available to consumers, as only one generic rival has so far been approved by South Africa\u2019s medicines authority, and it has yet to hit the market. <\/p>\n The scale of the price drop is likely to disappoint many patients, as it does not appear large enough to prompt medical schemes to expand coverage. <\/p>\n Medical scheme administrator Discovery Health, which typically leads the industry on decisions about coverage for costly new treatments, said there are no immediate plans to change the eligibility criteria for members of its biggest client, Discovery Health Medical Scheme (DHMS).<\/p>\n \u201cDHMS regularly reviews its funding position on GLP-1 medicines as clinical evidence evolves and lower-cost alternatives become available. While a 15% reduction in price is a positive development and may improve affordability for some individuals, it is unlikely to be sufficient to justify broader medical scheme funding at this stage due to the high prevalence of Type 2 diabetes,\u201d said Discovery Health chief clinical officer Noluthando Nematswerani. <\/p>\n \u201cIt will, however, assist with reducing member out-of-pocket expenses where cover is currently not provided,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n