Obesity Management

Analyzing copayments and coverage plans for popular weight-loss drugs in the US, researchers addressed the cost-effectiveness of GLP-1 medications for treating obesity.

Without financial incentives, some senators expressed concerns that pharmaceutical research and development would stall.

Senators sought to uncover why prices of Novo Nordisk’s GLP-1 receptor agonist semaglutide are significantly higher in the US compared with countries in Europe.

In the US, Ozempic costs more than 9 times what it does in Germany, while Wegovy is more than 4.5 times more expensive than in Denmark.

Compounded with lifestyle interventions, researchers compared liraglutide with a placebo to measure its efficacy amongst children under 12 years old.

The CDC recently released a report detailing 2023 statistics regarding adult obesity within the 50 US states.

According to various research studies, these are the most commonly used interventions patients consider for treating and managing childhood obesity.

“Reducing abdominal adiposity may be considered a target for chronic pain management, particularly in those with pain in multiple sites and widespread pain,” wrote investigators.

Data from the SELECT clinical trial were analyzed to evaluate the role of semaglutide therapy on all-cause, cardiovascular, and non-cardiovascular mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vials of tirzepatide 2.5 mg and 5 mg will be available at a 50% discount compared with the list price of other incretin-based obesity medications.

A detailed report of study findings will be published in a peer-reviewed journal and presented at ObesityWeek 2024.

Timothy Mackey, MAS, PhD, discusses a study that sought to determine the risk of sourcing semaglutide from online platforms.

With the high demand in GLP-1 medications, pharmacists are now living in an unprecedented time of filling prescriptions for high-cost brand-name drugs.

As clinical research continues, investigators are learning more about how GLP-1 drugs modify cardiovascular risks.

Lifestyle changes—including eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains—can help patients, especially those with diabetes or hypertension, improve outcomes.

GLP-1 therapies are being evaluated to treat cardiovascular and kidney diseases in individuals with overweight or obesity.

These therapies are highly beneficial, but can come with a host of gastrointestinal adverse effects that patients may not be prepared to manage alone.

Some patients may have difficulty managing the gastrointestinal adverse effects associated with GLP-1 therapies.

Pfizer joins Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk in the development of oral GLP-1 receptor agonist candidates.

Previously, data from head-to-head trials of tirzepatide and semaglutide were not available.