Direct-To-Consumer Ozempic Sales Are A Win For Patients And Drug Makers
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“Research has shown that sustained use of these drugs could help patients lose close to 10% of their … More weight,” writes health policy expert Sally Pipes. UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Google Wegovy. Or Zepbound. The search results offer a preview of a direct-to-consumer future for prescription drugs. The brand-name drugs’ homepages generally get top billing. But not far down are ads for telehealth companies promising access to the drugs or others with the same active pharmaceutical ingredient, or API, without the need for an in-person visit or insurance. These GLP-1 drugs have proven effective at helping people lose weight—and are showing promise for a host of other indications, including heart disease and liver disease. Making it easier for people to access them is a good thing for public health. Two in five American adults are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Obesity costs the American healthcare system $173 billion each year. Research has shown that sustained use of these drugs could help patients lose close to 10% of their weight—and in the process fight comorbidities like diabetes and heart disease. One study estimates that Medicare would realize savings of up to $245 billion a year if it covered these weight-loss therapies—something it doesn’t currently do. But many of the telehealth companies promising to bring GLP-1s to the masses are not selling the genuine article. They’re dispensing compounded versions of the drugs, which are not themselves approved by the Food and Drug Administration. They’ve been able to do so since 2022 because the FDA had declared a shortage of the branded versions—a declaration that gave compound pharmacies the green light to make copycats of the drugs. But there are downsides to getting drugs from compounding pharmacies. “Compounded drugs also present a risk to patients,”…
Filed under: News - @ May 12, 2025 1:26 pm