A recent study conducted on the usage of a well-known weight-loss medication called Wegovy, produced by Novo Nordisk, reveals that only approximately one-third of patients continued taking the drug after one year.
Interestingly, it was found that the total expenses for healthcare significantly increased for this group of patients. The analysis, based on pharmacy claims data from the United States, discovered that patients had an average annual cost of $12,371 for their overall healthcare prior to starting Wegovy or a similar medication.
However, once they began taking the weight-loss drugs, the average cost for the full year surged by 59% to $19,657.
Results obtained from the study
It was observed that the expenses for a control group of patients who did not take the medication actually decreased by 4%. It is noteworthy to mention that the average age of the patients involved in this analysis was 47, and 81% of them were female.
It is important to highlight that medications like Wegovy can be quite costly, with prices exceeding $1,000 per month. It should also be noted that any improvements in health and subsequent reduction in medical costs are unlikely to occur rapidly.
Khrysta Baig, a health policy researcher at Vanderbilt University, who thoroughly examined the findings, commented on the analysis, stating, “This analysis points to the fact that there can be a lot of spending on people that are not likely to reap any long-term health benefits.”
Analysis by Prime Therapeutics
Prime Therapeutics, a pharmacy benefits manager (PBM), conducted an analysis based on retrospective pharmacy and medical claims data from 4,255 individuals who held commercial health plans.
The participants had been newly prescribed drugs belonging to the GLP-1 agonist class between January and December 2021. They had either been diagnosed with obesity, prediabetes or had a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher.
Originally developed to assist in regulating blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes, GLP-1 drugs also possess the ability to suppress appetite and create a sensation of fullness. To focus specifically on obesity treatment, Prime Therapeutics excluded patients with type 2 diabetes from the analysis.
Among the participants, almost half were prescribed Novo’s Ozempic or Wegovy, both of which contain the active ingredient semaglutide. Others were taking Saxenda (liraglutide), an older GLP drug produced by Novo, or Rybelsus, an oral version of semaglutide.
After one year from their initial prescription, only 32% of the patients continued using the medication for weight loss. It is important to note that all participants possessed insurance coverage for GLP-1 drugs, and the results did not significantly differ based on the specific drug prescribed, as reported by Prime.
Reasons for discontinuing the prescriptions
In the analysis conducted by Prime, patients were not asked about the reasons for discontinuing their prescriptions. Patrick Gleason, one of the co-authors of the analysis, proposed several possibilities, including patients finding the side effects of nausea and vomiting too severe or facing financial challenges in affording co-pays or deductibles.
Some promising weight loss drugs – could reduce fatty liver from 30% pounds to 2% in a year and even take away the need for insulin in some citizens with GLP analogues and more. #RCPsychIC23 #RCPsychIC pic.twitter.com/KyN7evi5gc
— Toral Thomas (@NSFT_CCIO) July 11, 2023
Both pharmaceutical companies and many doctors have been advocating for improved insurance coverage of anti-obesity medications. They argue that employers, insurers, and pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) may contribute to low adherence by imposing excessive restrictions and high out-of-pocket costs.
David Lassen, the chief clinical officer at Prime Therapeutics, stated that it will require two to three years of data to gain a better understanding of the financial and medical outcomes for patients using GLP-1 drugs for obesity. He further mentioned that a majority of Prime’s commercial customers currently do not provide coverage for weight-loss medications.
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