The variety of prescription blockbuster weight-loss drugs greater than doubled within the U.S. in 2024, despite the fact that insurance coverage is proscribed and out-of-pocket costs for the treatments are high, it says Data published Thursday from drug savings company GoodRx.
The numbers are further evidence of insatiable demand for a preferred class of medication called GLP-1 and GIP agonists, which mimic gut hormones to suppress appetite and regulate blood sugar. This includes Novo Nordisk's weight reduction medication Wegovy and Eli Lilly's obesity treatment Zepbound, which have hefty list prices of around $1,000 per thirty days without insurance or savings cards.
Prescription drug counts for Wegovy and Zepbound have increased by greater than 100% and 300%, respectively, for the reason that start of 2024. Zepbound's increase reflects its first 12 months available on the market, because it was approved within the US in November 2023. Wegovy received US approval in 2021.
“It's just a pretty astronomical increase in sales, and for that reason a lot of eyes are on its affordability and accessibility,” said Tori Marsh, director of research at GoodRx, in an interview.
The data comes from GoodRx's latest Weight Loss Medications Tracker, which examines filling trends and spending patterns within the U.S. for popular weight reduction medications.
According to GoodRx, compliance rates are high, with only 9% of commercially insured people having full Zepbound coverage and 14% having full Wegovy coverage. This means insurance coverage that doesn’t require patients to beat additional hurdles, corresponding to prior approval or higher BMI requirements.
Far higher rates of patients — about 60% to 70% — have insurance policy with more restrictive drug coverage. However, Marsh said that even when a patient has insurance for weight reduction treatment, out-of-pocket costs can add up.
The average insured taking Zepbound can expect to pay over $2,500 a 12 months in copays for the drug, she said. GoodRx found that individuals spent a median of $231 out of pocket on a monthly Zepbound prescription from January 2023 to October of this 12 months.
“Insurance is simply no longer the emergency solution it once was,” Marsh said.
Meanwhile, almost one in five commercially insured people doesn’t have insurance coverage for a minimum of one brand-name GLP-1 and GIP agonist prescribed for weight reduction.
GoodRx found that Americans overspent a minimum of $200 million by paying full retail prices for weight-loss drugs as an alternative of using savings options like GoodRx coupons or assistance programs from Eli Lilly or Novo Nordisk. GoodRx said it calculated the overpayment figure based on the typical price people could have paid for a drug with a GoodRx discount.
GoodRx says people without insurance can save a median of $250 per thirty days or $3,000 per 12 months through the use of its weight reduction drug coupons.
GoodRx's data is consistent with other research that means coverage for weight-loss drugs is patchy within the U.S., corresponding to a survey published In October, a study found that lower than a fifth of enormous employers within the country include the price of those treatments of their medical insurance.
The federal Medicare plan also doesn’t cover weight reduction treatments unless they’re approved and prescribed for one more health condition. Research has shown that covering the drugs could significantly increase costs for employers and state and federal governments.
But the Biden administration proposed a rule in November that will allow Medicare and Medicaid to cover weight-loss medications for patients with obesity. If given the green light by the brand new Trump administration, the rule would significantly expand access to the treatments.
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