The total number of prescriptions may be higher than reported due to insurance claims, as many health plans do not cover weight-loss drugs, leading patients to pay for them out of pocket.
Trilliant Health’s analysis, based on claims data for approximately 300 million Americans, also discovered that slightly over half of the patients taking Ozempic or a similar drug had a history of diabetes. This supports the widely held belief that many patients are using diabetes drugs off-label for weight loss, as stated by Sanjula Jain, Trilliant’s chief research officer.
“It’s a significant portion,” said Jain, referring to the estimated off-label usage. She further mentioned that not all patients taking these prescriptions necessarily consult a healthcare professional for diabetes or obesity, noting that a large number of patients did not have traditional medical visits coinciding with their prescription.
This analysis is not the first to indicate the surge in the popularity of drugs like Ozempic. A peer-reviewed study from last year revealed that spending on semaglutide, the primary ingredient in Ozempic and its weight-loss counterpart Wegovy, ranked fourth among drugs nationwide in 2021, with the highest growth rate within the top 25 drugs. Both medications are manufactured by Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk.
The new drugs, commonly referred to as GLP-1 drugs due to their mimicking of a naturally occurring hormone, function by slowing down stomach emptying and sending signals of fullness to the brain. They have shown to aid overweight individuals in losing 15 to 20 percent of their body weight and reducing the risk of heart problems. However, they also come with some side effects such as nausea and vomiting. Despite this, the demand for these drugs is so high that manufacturers are unable to keep up, resulting in the emergence of a market for cheaper imitations.
A significant part of this parallel industry has formed due to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration designating semaglutide and tirzepatide, the main ingredients in Mounjaro, another diabetes drug used for weight loss, as scarce. This determination has allowed compounding pharmacies to create copies of the FDA-approved drugs, and numerous clinics and telehealth firms to market them.
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