GLP-1 agonists are transforming the weight loss market. Experts weighed in on the changes they’re seeing, speaking in a panel discussion during the MedCity News INVEST Conference in Chicago.
How employers are optimizing weight-loss medication cost and coverage
At the Payer Insights sessions on Day 1 of ViVE 2024, a panel on prior authorization offered compelling insights from speakers who shared the positive developments in this area after years of mounting frustration. Speakers also shared challenges as they work with providers to figure out how policy developments and technology will work in practice.
Novo Nordisk reported its weight loss pill amycretin led to greater weight loss measured at 12 weeks compared to clinical trial results for its blockbuster obesity drug Wegovy. But these results are from a small Phase 1 study and more testing is needed.
The weight loss achieved by Viking Therapeutics’ obesity drug tops results posted by Eli Lilly’s Zepbound in its pivotal test. But Viking still needs to show its results can hold up in a larger Phase 3 clinical trial.
GLP-1s continue to be in high demand, and the healthcare industry is watching closely to see how payers decide to cover the drugs going forward. During a virtual panel, payer executives noted that it's important to remember that GLP-1s won’t be able to solve the country’s obesity crisis by themselves.
New research found that there are no racial disparities in weight loss results among patients taking obesity drugs. However, the study found that people of color have less access to services like behavioral care or surgical interventions, which are often needed in order for patients to lose weight and keep it off. To tackle this issue, Enara Health CEO Rami Bailony argued that the U.S. healthcare system must innovate the way it dispenses weight loss drugs, employing a more holistic care approach.
Canada has a proud history of achievement in the areas of science and technology, and the field of biomanufacturing and life sciences is no exception.
Zocdoc Founder and CEO Oliver Kharraz gave five predictions about how patient preferences will evolve in 2024. Some of them include Americans increasingly seeking cash-pay care options and an uptick in patients seeking mental health appointments before and after the presidential election.
It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement surrounding innovations in the medical field, Amazon Pharmacy Chief Medical Officer Dr. Vin Gupta noted. But when talking about these innovations, healthcare leaders often fail to address questions about whether they will be covered by insurance and whether all patients will be able to benefit from them, he pointed out.
Walgreens is seeing “an enormous amount of demand” for injectable weight loss drugs, its president of U.S. healthcare said during the Reuters Total Health conference in Chicago. He declared that the healthcare industry needs to come up with a reimbursement model “that correctly compensates pharmacists and others” to administer these drugs. In his view, reimbursement hasn't caught up with the demand.
Eli Lilly weight management drug Zepbound landed its much anticipated FDA approval. The new Lilly product is in the same drug class as Novo Nordisk weight medication Wegovy, but it offers an additional mechanism of action and costs less.
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A new PitchBook report listed several predictions for digital health companies in regards to weight loss drugs, including the potential for new weight loss startups and possible challenges for existing nutrition companies.
A new KFF analysis compared list prices for Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus and Mounjaro. It found that the U.S. has much higher list prices for these drugs than other peer countries while also having the highest rate of obesity.