Only 1 in 4 Still Taking Ozempic, Wegovy for Weight Loss Two Years Later

Medically reviewed by Medication.com.

By Robin Foster HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, July 11, 2024 — Three of 4 sufferers cease taking Ozempic or Wegovy two years after being prescribed the blockbuster medication for weight reduction, a brand new evaluation reveals.

Carried out by Prime Therapeutics and Magellan Rx Administration (MRx), the evaluate sifted via pharmacy and medical claims knowledge for 3,364 folks with insurance coverage that cowl the GLP-1 medication. Sufferers had obtained new prescriptions between January and December 2021, and all have been identified with weight problems.

Importantly, the evaluation excluded sufferers utilizing the medication for sort 2 diabetes, for which GLP-1 medicines have been initially developed.

Whereas the report didn’t delve into why sufferers stop, it does provide a sobering view of the real-world experiences of individuals taking the medication.

“GLP-1s are unlikely to ship therapeutic worth when so many people cease remedy after two years, however the findings additionally illustrate the necessity for weight problems care administration applications to enhance adherence,” David Lassen, chief scientific officer at Prime/MRx, mentioned in a information launch.

Wegovy and comparable GLP-1 medicines can price greater than $1,000 a month and prolonged use is required for significant well being advantages.

“GLP-1s for all isn’t cost-effective,” Dr. Rekha Kumar, an weight problems specialist at New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medical Middle, advised Reuters. “Folks need to present weight problems care to their staff, however they need to do it in a means that doesn’t bankrupt them.”

For sufferers, it might simply be too robust to remain on the drugs indefinitely, the evaluate discovered.

With Wegovy, simply 24.1% of sufferers stayed on the treatment over two years and not using a hole of 60 days or extra, down from 36% who stayed on the drug for one yr. With Ozempic, which has the identical lively ingredient as Wegovy, 22.2% of sufferers saved filling their prescriptions at two years, down from 47.1% who had used it for one yr.

Older GLP-1 medication fared even worse. At two years, solely 7.4% of sufferers have been nonetheless taking Novo’s Saxenda, a much less efficient weight-loss drug that some well being plans require sufferers to strive earlier than newer GLPs like Novo Nordick’s Wegovy or Eli Lilly’s Zepbound, Reuters reported.

In a press release, Novo Nordisk famous that Wegovy wasn’t launched till June 2021, the center of the research interval, and it wasn’t instantly lined by insurance coverage. In the meantime, Ozempic isn’t accepted for weight reduction, which might have an effect on each insurance coverage protection and adherence, the Danish drugmaker advised Reuters.

The corporate added it “doesn’t imagine these knowledge are adequate to attract conclusions about general affected person adherence and persistence to numerous GLP-1 medicines, together with our remedies.”

The evaluation didn’t observe long-term use of Lilly’s Zepbound, which launched after the research began. The corporate had no touch upon the findings, Reuters reported.

Whereas the brand new evaluation didn’t ask sufferers why they stopped the medication, it like owes to a mixture of uncomfortable side effects comparable to nausea and vomiting, out-of-pocket prices not lined by insurance coverage and provide shortages, evaluation co-author Dr. Patrick Gleason, assistant vice chairman for well being outcomes at Prime/MRx, advised Reuters.

Some sufferers might determine to cease the treatment as soon as they lose the specified weight, medical doctors mentioned, though analysis has proven many sufferers who stop achieve the burden again.

“Nobody actually is aware of how lengthy you need to be on these drugs,” mentioned Dr. Walid Gellad, a professor of drugs on the College of Pittsburgh who research treatment adherence.

Sources

Prime Therapeutics and Magellan Rx Administration, evaluation, July 10, 2024 Reuters

Disclaimer: Statistical knowledge in medical articles present normal tendencies and don’t pertain to people. Particular person elements can fluctuate vastly. All the time search personalised medical recommendation for particular person healthcare choices.

Posted July 2024