Glucagon-like peptide 1 agonists – GLP-1s – are a category of medications that have been used to treat diabetes since 2005. In 2014, the FDA approved the first GLP-1 specifically for weight loss.
Clinical trials show people taking Wegovy (semaglutide) once a week for 68 weeks lost about 15% of body weight on average. In 2022 alone, providers wrote more than 5 million GLP-1 prescriptions for weight management. This represents a 2000% rise in GLP-1 prescriptions for this purpose between 2019 and 2022.
As FDA indications for these drugs continue to grow, including kidney disease, sleep apnea and risk reduction of cardiovascular death, heart attack and stroke, and with anticipated label expansions on the way, the demand for these medications will continue to grow. But, these drugs come at a cost: Americans are facing prices that are multiples higher compared to other countries, paying upwards of $11,000 annually for a year's supply.
The high list prices set by manufacturers impact everyone in the GLP-1 ecosystem from patients to pharmacies, employers and payers.
In this episode of Health Unscripted, Tim Harlan, vice president of account management for health plans at Express Scripts by Evernorth, sits down with Dr. Gerry Stanley, chief medical officer, and Ashley Holzworth-Nash, vice president of retail network product strategy and solutions, for a deep dive into the challenges and opportunities within the GLP-1 landscape.
Tune in above for an honest conversation about the biggest GLP-1 hurdles employers, health plans, patients and pharmacies face in the current environment.
