“Drugs like Wegovy may trim your waistline but not medical costs, according to an analysis of U.S. health insurance claims shared with Reuters,” Chad Terhune writes for Reuters. “The full-year cost of care for U.S. patients with obesity two years after starting on Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy or similar GLP-1 drugs was $18,507, on average. That represents a 46% jump over the average annual medical cost of $12,695 prior to taking the medication, data provided by pharmacy benefits manager Prime Therapeutics show. The costs for a similar control group of patients not taking the drugs grew by 14% for the same period. Among GLP-1 patients, prescription drug costs drove most of the spending increase, but medical costs also climbed over the two-year period. Over the two-year period, the analysis found ‘no reduction in obesity-related medical events,’ such as heart attacks, strokes and diagnoses of type 2 diabetes, or use of prescription drugs for hypertension and high cholesterol, compared to the control group. Novo and rival Eli Lilly, which makes the GLP-1 weight-loss drug Zepbound, have reaped billions of dollars in profits since their new drugs hit the U.S. market, with only a fraction of an estimated 100 million patients with obesity having used them. They say use of their medicines will yield savings for society by alleviating many health problems linked to excess weight. Yet many U.S. employers and government health officials remain wary of adding coverage for these highly effective, but expensive medicines due to the significant upfront investment and uncertainty about any future savings.” Chad Terhune, “Weight-loss drugs didn’t curb health costs within two years,” Reuters.
