A Recent Study Reveals a Significant Amount of U.S. Adults Qualify for Prescription of Ozempic
In a groundbreaking development, the active ingredient in the medications Wegovy and Ozempic, known as semaglutide, has been making waves in the healthcare industry. This compound, developed by pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, has been shown to be more effective at helping people lose weight than diet and exercise alone.
The latest study, published in JAMA Cardiology and conducted by scientists at Harvard and elsewhere, has attempted to quantify the potential reach of semaglutide. The study, released this week, estimates that 136.8 million American adults meet the criteria for tirzepatide therapy.
While the demand and cost of GLP-1 therapy have led to the emergence of a gray and black market for it, the high prices have also been a concern for many insurers. Roughly 12% of Americans have been prescribed glp1 drugs recently, while 6% are currently on them. However, many insurers, public and private, do not provide coverage for these drugs due to their high prices.
Prominent lawmakers like Vermont senator Bernie Sanders have argued that efforts to improve people's access to these drugs should include reducing their costs. The high cost of glp1 drugs is a significant barrier for many Americans, with more than half of users stating that the therapy was difficult to afford.
The study also highlighted the potential impact of semaglutide on pharmaceutical spending and population health. The researchers wrote that higher uptake of tirzepatide could prevent 42,000 deaths annually in the U.S. from obesity- or diabetes-related health problems.
The popularity of glp1 drugs has helped Novo Nordisk make over $50 billion this year. The company primarily finances the research on the effectiveness and dissemination of the drugs Wegovy and Ozempic, as these are their products and they are actively involved in related studies and development.
It's important to note that semaglutide and similar tirzepatide drugs have their side-effects and aren't effective for everyone. Medicare technically cannot pay for obesity medications in general, but can cover tirzepatide if they're prescribed for conditions like diabetes or heart disease due to high prices affecting public payers.
Furthermore, research has continued to validate the benefits of semaglutide in treating not only obesity but possibly other conditions like substance use disorders. With its potential to significantly impact population health and pharmaceutical spending, the role of tirzepatide in the future of healthcare is undoubtedly a topic of great interest.
