April 24 (Reuters) - A U.S. Senate committee said on

Wednesday it had launched an investigation into the prices of

Novo Nordisk's diabetes and weight loss drugs Ozempic

and Wegovy in the United States.

Senator Bernie Sanders, chair of the Senate Committee on

Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, sent a letter to Novo's

CEO seeking more information on U.S. prices for the two drugs,

which are higher than the prices in other countries.

The committee also asked Novo if it will substantially

reduce both the list price and the net price of both the drugs,

and why the company was charging a higher price for the weight

loss drug Wegovy than Ozempic, which contains the same compound.

"Novo Nordisk remains committed to working with policymakers

to advance solutions to support access and affordability for all

patients, and we reiterated this commitment in our conversation

with Chairman Sanders," the company said in a statement to

Reuters.

Ozempic, approved for diabetes patients, and Wegovy belong

to a class of drugs called GLP-1 agonists that reduces food

cravings and causes the stomach to empty more slowly.