A recent analysis of US pharmacy claims revealed that only one in four patients prescribed Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy or Ozempic for weight loss continued using the medications two years later, reported Reuters (10 July 2024).
The study by Prime Therapeutics and Magellan Rx Management revealed that:
Only 24.1% of patients remained on Wegovy after two years, down from 36% after one year;
For Ozempic, 22.2% of patients continued the medication after two years, compared to 47.1% after one year; and •
Older GLP-1 drugs showed even lower persistence, with just 7.4% of patients continuing Novo’s Saxenda after two years;
While the analysis did not detail why patients stopped taking the medications, potential factors include side effects, high out-of-pocket costs, and supply shortages.