Few patients continue Wegovy after a year

Only about a third of patients were prescribed weight-loss medications such as: Novo NordiskWegovy’s popular injection continued to be taken a year later – but in bulk healthcare costs For the entire group, it’s up, according to an analysis shared with CNBC on Tuesday.

The analysis said that the average annual health care cost for patients before they started taking a weight-loss medication was $12,371. Primary treatmentsone of the largest pharmacy benefit managers in the United States

The analysis said the cost of care jumped about 60% to an average of $19,657 after patients started treatment.

The group of patients in the analysis who did not take weight-loss medication saw their healthcare costs drop by 4%, on average, over the same time period.

The analysis reviewed US medical and pharmacy claims data for more than 4,000 people with commercial health care plans who received new prescriptions for weight-loss drugs between January and December 2021.

These patients were diagnosed with obesity, prediabetes, or had a BMI of 30 or higher.

Weight loss medications are also known as GLP-1 agonists, which mimic a hormone produced in the gut to suppress a person’s appetite.

The new findings highlight the steep price of hugely popular weight-loss drugs, most of which can cost more than $1,200 a month out of pocket.

This cost can also be a burden for insured patients, who will likely see co-payments and deductibles charged by health plans for medications add up over time.

“As the industry prepares to see broader approval of GLP-1a drugs for weight loss by the Food and Drug Administration in the near term, our analysis shows that a significant upfront financial investment is needed when treating weight loss with these drugs,” said Dr. Joseph Leach, senior vice president and medical director. Prime Therapeutics.

Pharmacy benefit managers such as Prime Therapeutics are middlemen who negotiate drug discounts with manufacturers on behalf of health insurers, large employers, and others with whom they contract.

The company’s analysis also indicates that adherence to treatment with Wegovy or similar medications is poor after one year, which is when patients typically notice significant weight loss.

Wegovy, for example, leads to 15% weight loss after 68 weeks, according to clinical trials on the drug.

Prime Therapeutics’ analysis does not indicate why patients should stop taking weight-loss medication.

But many users said the ongoing shortage of Wegovy has forced them to discontinue treatment.

Novo Nordisk’s clinical trials have shown that some patients stop treatment due to unpleasant side effects such as gastrointestinal problems.

Novo Nordisk did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment on the Prime Therapeutics analysis.

The Danish company’s share price fell about 3% on Tuesday after Reuters first reported the analysis.

pharmaceutical companies such as Eli Lilly And Pfizer The focus on the weight loss industry began after Wegovy and the drug Ozempic, also made by Novo Nordisk, catapulted into the national spotlight in recent years.

Social Media Influencers, Hollywood Celebrities and Billionaire Tech Mogul Elon Musk The popular injection was reportedly used to get rid of unwanted weight.

But the experts He says Medications may further perpetuate the dangerous diet culture that idealizes weight loss and thinness.

More than 2 out of 5 adults are obese, according to the National Institutes of Health.

About 1 in 11 adults is obese.