Trump may face serious Ozempic backlash if he continues to threaten Greenland, Denmark, and Europe. Credit: Markus Winkler, Pexels.
America has a huge problem. Obesity, one of the leading causes of morbidity in the world, affects a whopping 35% of Americans. The latest pioneering treatment for the condition, Ozempic, is produced in Denmark. And the Scandinavian nation, who owns the territory of Greenland, may well threaten to pull the plug on US exports of the ‘miracle drug’, if Trump is truly serious about acquiring the country.
Denmark amasses a population less in size than even New York, but since Donald Trump’s ranting and raving about ‘buying’ Greenland, Denmark has threatened the US with a possibly devastating retaliation.
Since taking over as US president last month, Trump has floated many a wild idea, which have come to the detriment of those in Europe, including military takeovers of nations, imposing huge tariffs on exports of countries across the continent, and instigating a downright tear-up with multiple leaders.
Danish PM maintains Greenland isn’t for sale and threatens to curb weight-loss drugs exports to US
The games Trump is playing do not seem to faze Mette Frederiksen though, as the Danish prime minister made it very clear to Trump when he first proposed his plan to buy Greenland, that they are “not for sale”, in a heated phone call.
Denmark might strike back, and if they do, it will be nothing short of catastrophic for the people of America.
Some of the most revolutionary medicines tailored to fight obesity have been inspired, produced and distributed in Denmark, with America being one of the most common customers of both Ozempic and Wegovy, two medicines born at Novo Nordisk, one of the world’s front-running pharma powerhouses.
The situation that might spew into a damning reality for America and Denmark, is an all out trade war, and this would be dangerous for not only the two nations, but many others, who rely on the efforts of America for many sectors, and many products imported.
Ozempic and Wegovy, drugs used primarily for battling diabetes, have changed the way people look at food when used. Substances in the medicines suppress ghrelin, the hunger hormone, making it a lot easier for individuals battling obesity, for instance, to refrain from binge eating and bad food habits.
And a study in the journal of the American Medical Association revealed that between 2021 and 2023, as the world was coming out of a pandemic, the number of Ozempic prescriptions in the states rocketed by over 400%.
Tariffs imposed by Trump may come back to bite him and US
So, with Denmark threatening to stem exports of the popular treatments if Trump continues to intimidate Greenland, obesity rates in the US may not come down over the next few years.
Another important caveat is that Trump and his reported plans to inflict tariff damage on European countries, as well as many others across the world, would mean prices for the drugs could soar further, making accessibility hindered even more.
At the moment, if you live in America and you wish to purchase Ozempic, it will set you back around 1000 dollars, presuming you do not have insurance. For Wegovy, the price is around 1300 per package.
And with the current price of pharmaceutical drugs in the states already being disproportionately higher than most other places around the world, things could go from bad to worse.
Data from Trading Economics depicts that the US is a star importer of medical goods from Denmark, as stats show in just 2023 alone, America imported medicines, vaccines and antibiotics worth a total of 5.7 billion dollars from the Scandinavian country.
Lego, hearing aids, both Danish-made, would stand as massive loss for America if Trump follows through
Denmark also has an additional trump card it can play amid the fiasco, as Lego, one of the all-time most popular children’s toy brands, is based in Denmark. The country is also the leading supplier of hearing aids to america.
And if America was to try to create its very own ‘Ozempic’, it would struggle to carry out the necessary production of an alternative, as the key active ingredient within the drug, semaglutide, which helps so many people globally to lose weight, is also made in Denmark.
So, if Trump does make the bold move to impose massive tariffs on Europe, and pursue the swoop to take over Greenland, it could have disastrous economic consequences for his America, who, according to him, is aiming to become the biggest and most powerful nation it has ever been, after the 78 year old became president for the second time.
For more news on Denmark, check here.
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