Few patients continue weight loss drugs like Wegovy after a year — but health costs soar for all

Only astir one-third of patients prescribed weight nonaccomplishment drugs specified arsenic Novo Nordisk's blockbuster injection Wegovy continued to instrumentality it a twelvemonth aboriginal — but full health-care costs for the full radical soared, according to an investigation shared with CNBC connected Tuesday.

The yearly health-care outgo for patients earlier they started a weight nonaccomplishment medication was $12,371 connected average, said the investigation from Prime Therapeutics, 1 of the largest pharmacy payment managers successful the U.S. 

That outgo of attraction jumped by astir 60% to $19,657 connected mean aft patients started treatment, the investigation said.

And a radical of patients successful the investigation who didn't instrumentality a value nonaccomplishment cause saw their health-care costs alteration by 4% connected mean during the aforesaid clip period. 

The investigation reviewed U.S. pharmacy and aesculapian claims information for much than 4,000 radical with commercialized health-care plans who received caller prescriptions for value nonaccomplishment drugs betwixt January and December 2021.

Those patients had a diagnosis of obesity, prediabetes, oregon a assemblage wide scale of 30 oregon higher.

Weight nonaccomplishment drugs are besides known arsenic GLP-1 agonists, which mimic a hormone produced successful the gut to suppress a person's appetite.

The caller findings item the hefty terms tag of the highly fashionable weight-loss medicines, astir of which tin outgo much than $1,200 per period out-of-pocket. 

That outgo whitethorn besides beryllium a load for insured patients, who apt spot co-payments and deductibles charged by the wellness plans for the drugs adhd up implicit time. 

"While the manufacture is poised to spot broader support of GLP-1a drugs for value nonaccomplishment by the Food and Drug Administration successful the near-term, our investigation shows that a large, upfront fiscal concern is required erstwhile treating value nonaccomplishment with these drugs," said Dr. Joseph Leach, Prime Therapeutics' elder vice president and main aesculapian officer. 

Pharmacy payment managers specified arsenic Prime Therapeutics are middlemen who negociate cause discounts with manufacturers connected behalf of wellness insurers, ample employers and others that declaration them.

The company's investigation besides suggests that adherence to attraction with Wegovy oregon akin drugs is mediocre beyond the one-year mark, which is erstwhile patients typically spot important value reduction.

Wegovy, for example, leads to 15% value nonaccomplishment aft 68 weeks, according to objective trials connected the drug.

Prime Therapeutics' investigation does not bespeak wherefore patients stopped taking value nonaccomplishment drugs. 

But galore users person said that the ongoing shortages of Wegovy person forced them to discontinue treatment. 

Novo Nordisk's objective trials person amusement that immoderate patients halt attraction owed to unpleasant broadside effects similar gastrointestinal issues.

Novo Nordisk did not instantly respond to CNBC's petition for remark connected Prime Therapeutics' analysis.

The Danish company's banal terms fell astir 3% connected Tuesday aft Reuters archetypal reported the analysis.

Pharmaceutical companies specified arsenic Eli Lilly and Pfizer started zeroing successful connected the value nonaccomplishment manufacture aft Wegovy and diabetes cause Ozempic catapulted to the nationalist spotlight successful caller years.  

Social media influencers, Hollywood celebrities and billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk person reportedly utilized the fashionable injections to get escaped of unwanted weight.   

But experts say the medicines whitethorn further perpetuate a unsafe fare civilization that idealizes value nonaccomplishment and thinness.

More than 2 successful 5 adults person obesity, according to the National Institutes of Health.

About 1 successful 11 adults person terrible obesity.