Only 25% Continue Ozempic, Wegovy for Weight Loss After Two Years

On Thursday, July 11, 2024, a recent analysis revealed that three out of four patients discontinue the use of Ozempic or Wegovy, two popular weight loss drugs, within two years of being prescribed. The analysis was conducted by Prime Therapeutics and Magellan Rx Management (MRx) and examined pharmacy and medical claims data from 3,364 individuals with insurance plans that cover GLP-1 medications. These patients received new prescriptions between January and December 2021 and were all diagnosed with obesity. The study intentionally excluded those using the drugs for type 2 diabetes, the original purpose for which GLP-1 medicines were developed.

Although the report did not investigate the specific reasons behind the patients' decision to stop the medication, it provides a realistic look at the experiences of people taking these drugs. David Lassen, chief clinical officer at Prime/MRx, commented that the findings suggest GLP-1 drugs are unlikely to deliver therapeutic value if most individuals discontinue their use after two years. He emphasized the necessity for obesity care management programs to enhance adherence.

Wegovy and similar GLP-1 drugs can cost more than $1,000 per month, and sustained use is necessary to achieve significant health benefits. Dr. Rekha Kumar, an obesity specialist at New York Presbyterian-Weill Cornell Medical Center, mentioned that while there is a desire to provide obesity care for employees, it must be done in a financially sustainable manner.

The analysis found that maintaining these medications over the long term is challenging for many patients. Only 24.1% of patients continued using Wegovy for two years without a gap of 60 days or more, a drop from 36% after one year. Similarly, with Ozempic, only 22.2% of patients continued their prescriptions at the two-year mark, down from 47.1% after one year. Older GLP-1 medications showed even poorer adherence rates. Only 7.4% of patients continued using Saxenda, a less effective weight-loss drug, after two years. Some health plans require patients to try Saxenda before newer GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy or Eli Lilly's Zepbound.

Novo Nordisk, the company behind Wegovy, noted that the drug wasn't launched until June 2021, during the middle of the study period, and initially wasn’t covered by insurance. Additionally, Ozempic isn't approved for weight loss, which can impact both insurance coverage and patient adherence. The Danish drugmaker stated that the data from this analysis are not sufficient to draw conclusions about overall patient adherence and persistence to various GLP-1 medications, including their treatments.

The analysis did not track the long-term use of Lilly's Zepbound, which was launched after the study began. Lilly did not comment on the findings. The analysis also did not ask patients why they stopped taking the drugs, but potential reasons include side effects such as nausea and vomiting, out-of-pocket costs not covered by insurance, and supply shortages. Dr. Patrick Gleason, assistant vice president for health outcomes at Prime/MRx, suggested some patients might stop the medication after achieving their desired weight, despite research indicating that many regain the weight after discontinuing the drugs.

Dr. Walid Gellad, a professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh who studies medication adherence, pointed out that the optimal duration for taking these medications is still unknown.