What reasons can lead patients to “exit” in a short period of time
New analysis shows that three out of four patients stop taking Ozempic, Wegovy or other weight-loss drugs two years after starting.
The study, conducted by Prime Therapeutics and Magellan Rx Management (MRx), reviewed data from 3,364 people covered by insurance for GLP-1 drugs. Patients received a new prescription in 2021 and were all diagnosed with obesity.
The analysis excluded patients using type 2 diabetes drugs, for which GLP-1 drugs were originally developed.
While the report doesn’t examine why patients stop taking medication, it provides a sobering picture of what people actually experience.
“GLP-1s are unlikely to deliver their therapeutic value when they stop treatment after two years,” said David Lassen, chief clinical officer of Prime/MRx.
Wegovy and other similar GLP-1 drugs can cost more than $1,000 a month, and patients must take them for a long time if they want to see significant health benefits.
As mentioned above, this new analysis does not clarify why patients stop taking the drugs, but the researchers believe it is due to a combination of unwanted side effects such as nausea and vomiting, their high cost and market deficiencies.
Some patients may also decide to stop the medication after losing the weight they want, doctors said, although the study found that many patients who stopped the medication regained the weight.
However, as noted by Dr. Walid Gellad, a professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh, the truth is, “no one really knows how long they should take these drugs.”