A new use of Ozempic and creating a healthier Super Bowl menu
Also, what to know if you're cooking with beer and wine and planning a healthier Super Bowl menu.
Dr. Nate Wood, internist, culinary medicine and obesity medicine physician at Yale Medicine and instructor at Yale School of Medicine joined Good Morning Connecticut at 9 a.m. to discuss.
Watch the video above.
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4 hours ago
Wegovy and Zepbound prices fall, but access to the obesity drugs still isn't guaranteed
Prices are falling for the popular obesity treatments Wegovy and Zepbound, but steady access to the drugs remains challenging. The medications still amount to around $500 per month for those without insurance — out of reach for many patients. And even for people with insurance, coverage remains uneven. 'The medications should be available, the question is at what price and can people sustain that,' said Matt Maciejewski, a Duke University professor who studies obesity treatment coverage. Doctors say the situation forces them to get creative in treating patients, but there's hope that prices may fall more in the future. Wegovy and Zepbound are part of a wave of obesity medications known as GLP-1 receptor agonists that have soared in popularity. Zepbound brought in $2.3 billion in U.S. sales during this year's first quarter, making it one of drugmaker Eli Lilly's best sellers. Novo Nordisk says Wegovy has about 200,000 weekly prescriptions in the U.S., where it brought in nearly $1.9 billion in first-quarter sales. The benefits consultant Mercer says more businesses with 500 or more employees are adding coverage of the injected drugs for their workers and family members. And Novo says 85% of its patients who have coverage in the U.S. pay $25 or less per month. Plus some patients with diabetes can get coverage of the GLP-1 drugs Ozempic and Mounjaro from Novo and Lilly that are approved to treat that condition. But most state and federally funded Medicaid programs don't cover the drugs for obesity and neither does Medicare, the federal program mainly for people age 65 and older. Even the plans that cover the drugs often pay only a portion of the bill, exposing patients to hundreds of dollars in monthly costs, said Dr. Beverly Tchang. Drugmakers offer help with these out-of-pocket costs, but that assistance can be limited. 'Coverage is not the same as access,' said Tchang, a New York-based doctor who serves as a paid advisor to both Novo and Lilly. Bill-payers like employers are nervous about drugs that might be used by a lot of people indefinitely. Some big employers have dropped coverage of the drugs due to the expense. Pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, also are starting to pick one brand over the other as they negotiate deals with the drugmakers. One of the nation's largest PBMs, run by CVS Health, dropped Zepbound from its national formulary, or list of covered drugs, on July 1 in favor of Wegovy. That forced Tchang to figure out another treatment plan for several patients, many of whom took Zepbound because it made them less nauseous. Dr. Courtney Younglove's office sends prospective patients a video link showing them how to check their insurer's website for coverage of the drugs before they visit. 'Then some of them just cancel their appointment because they don't have coverage,' the Overland Park, Kansas, doctor said. Compounding pharmacies and other entities were allowed to make off-brand, cheaper copies of Wegovy and Zepbound when there was a shortage of the drugs. But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration determined earlier this year that the shortage had ended. That should have ended the compounded versions, but there is an exception: Some compounding is permitted when a drug is personalized for the patient. The health care company Hims & Hers Health offers compounded doses of semaglutide, the drug behind Wegovy, that adjust dose levels to help patients manage side effects. Hims says these plans start at $165 a month for 12 months, with customers paying in full upfront. It's a contentious issue. Eli Lilly has sued pharmacies and telehealth companies trying to stop them from selling compounded versions of its products. Novo recently ended a short-lived partnership with Hims to sell Wegovy because the telehealth company continued compounding. Novo says the compounded versions of its drug put patient safety at risk because ingredients are made by foreign suppliers not monitored by US regulators. Hims says it checks all ingredients to make sure they meet U.S. quality and safety standards. It also uses a third-party lab to verify that a drug's strength is accurately labeled. Both drugmakers are selling most of their doses for around $500 a month to people without insurance, a few hundred dollars less than some initial prices. Even so, that expense would eat up about 14% of the average annual per person income in the U.S., which is around $43,000. There are some factors that may suppress prices over time. Both companies are developing pill versions of their treatments. Those could hit the market in the next year or so, which might drive down prices for the older, injectable doses. Younglove said some of her patients save as much as 15% by getting their doses shipped from a pharmacy in Canada. They used to get them from an Israeli pharmacy until the Canadians dropped their prices. She says competition like this, plus the introduction of pill versions, will pressure U.S. prices. 'I think price wars are going to drive it down,' she said. 'I think we are in the early stages. I have hope.' ___
Los Angeles Times
6 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Wegovy and Zepbound prices fall, but access to the obesity drugs still isn't guaranteed
Prices are falling for the popular obesity treatments Wegovy and Zepbound, but steady access to the drugs remains challenging. The medications still amount to around $500 per month for those without insurance — out of reach for many patients. And even for people with insurance, coverage remains uneven. 'The medications should be available, the question is at what price and can people sustain that,' said Matt Maciejewski, a Duke University professor who studies obesity treatment coverage. Doctors say the situation forces them to get creative in treating patients, but there's hope that prices may fall more in the future. Wegovy and Zepbound are part of a wave of obesity medications known as GLP-1 receptor agonists that have soared in popularity. Zepbound brought in $2.3 billion in U.S. sales during this year's first quarter, making it one of drugmaker Eli Lilly's best sellers. Novo Nordisk says Wegovy has about 200,000 weekly prescriptions in the U.S., where it brought in nearly $1.9 billion in first-quarter sales. The benefits consultant Mercer says more businesses with 500 or more employees are adding coverage of the injected drugs for their workers and family members. And Novo says 85% of its patients who have coverage in the U.S. pay $25 or less per month. Plus some patients with diabetes can get coverage of the GLP-1 drugs Ozempic and Mounjaro from Novo and Lilly that are approved to treat that condition. But most state and federally funded Medicaid programs don't cover the drugs for obesity and neither does Medicare, the federal program mainly for people age 65 and older. Even the plans that cover the drugs often pay only a portion of the bill, exposing patients to hundreds of dollars in monthly costs, said Dr. Beverly Tchang. Drugmakers offer help with these out-of-pocket costs, but that assistance can be limited. 'Coverage is not the same as access,' said Tchang, a New York-based doctor who serves as a paid advisor to both Novo and Lilly. Bill-payers like employers are nervous about drugs that might be used by a lot of people indefinitely. Some big employers have dropped coverage of the drugs due to the expense. Pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, also are starting to pick one brand over the other as they negotiate deals with the drugmakers. One of the nation's largest PBMs, run by CVS Health, dropped Zepbound from its national formulary, or list of covered drugs, on July 1 in favor of Wegovy. That forced Tchang to figure out another treatment plan for several patients, many of whom took Zepbound because it made them less nauseous. Dr. Courtney Younglove's office sends prospective patients a video link showing them how to check their insurer's website for coverage of the drugs before they visit. 'Then some of them just cancel their appointment because they don't have coverage,' the Overland Park, Kansas, doctor said. Compounding pharmacies and other entities were allowed to make off-brand, cheaper copies of Wegovy and Zepbound when there was a shortage of the drugs. But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration determined earlier this year that the shortage had ended. That should have ended the compounded versions, but there is an exception: Some compounding is permitted when a drug is personalized for the patient. The health care company Hims & Hers Health offers compounded doses of semaglutide, the drug behind Wegovy, that adjust dose levels to help patients manage side effects. Hims says these plans start at $165 a month for 12 months, with customers paying in full upfront. It's a contentious issue. Eli Lilly has sued pharmacies and telehealth companies trying to stop them from selling compounded versions of its products. Novo recently ended a short-lived partnership with Hims to sell Wegovy because the telehealth company continued compounding. Novo says the compounded versions of its drug put patient safety at risk because ingredients are made by foreign suppliers not monitored by US regulators. Hims says it checks all ingredients to make sure they meet U.S. quality and safety standards. It also uses a third-party lab to verify that a drug's strength is accurately labeled. Both drugmakers are selling most of their doses for around $500 a month to people without insurance, a few hundred dollars less than some initial prices. Even so, that expense would eat up about 14% of the average annual per person income in the U.S., which is around $43,000. There are some factors that may suppress prices over time. Both companies are developing pill versions of their treatments. Those could hit the market in the next year or so, which might drive down prices for the older, injectable doses. Younglove said some of her patients save as much as 15% by getting their doses shipped from a pharmacy in Canada. They used to get them from an Israeli pharmacy until the Canadians dropped their prices. She says competition like this, plus the introduction of pill versions, will pressure U.S. prices. 'I think price wars are going to drive it down,' she said. 'I think we are in the early stages. I have hope.' Murphy writes for the Associated Press.
USA Today
6 hours ago
- USA Today
Are GLP-1s affecting your birth control? What to know
Women across the country bonded online over their 'Ozempic babies' – surprise pregnancies while taking GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro, despite being on birth control or having a history of infertility. This baby boom isn't a coincidence. Reproductive and obesity medicine experts tell USA TODAY that they're also noticing the trend in their offices, and it boils down to two main reasons. Weight loss can help correct hormonal imbalances caused by obesity and metabolic disorders, thus boosting fertility. But certain GLP-1 medications can also reduce the efficacy of birth control pills, thus increasing the risk of an unintended pregnancy. So are GLP-1s impacting your birth control? It depends on which type of contraception you use. People taking oral birth control pills may need to take extra precautions to prevent pregnancy, both to reduce the risk of unintended pregnancies, but also the risks associated with taking GLP-1s while pregnant. Drug manufacturers recommend women stop taking weight loss drugs at least two months before a planned pregnancy, as not enough research has been done to fully assess the risks of taking GLP-1 medications while pregnant, according to Dr. Hayley Miller, Medical Director of Nurx Weight Management. 'It's true that, from a scientific perspective, these medications may make it easier for people to get pregnant,' Dr. Allison Rodgers, an OB-GYN and reproductive endocrinologist at Fertility Centers of Illinois, previously told USA TODAY. 'But people need to be careful because there could be dangerous consequences if taken while pregnant, given the drugs can linger in your system.' GLP-1s impact the GI tract, reduce birth control efficacy GLP-1s induce weight loss by slowing down the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, also known as the digestive tract, according to Miller. With oral contraceptives, the pill should be absorbed at approximately the same time every day to maintain consistent hormone levels and maximize their effectiveness. If the GI tract is slowed down, it makes that absorption 'a lot less predictable,' which can disrupt the efficacy of birth control, Miller says. A recent study evaluating gastric emptying with tirzepatide (Mounjaro) and oral contraceptives found that a single 5mg dose of tirzepatide was associated with an approximate 20% decrease in the amount of the oral contraceptive absorbed into the bloodstream. Semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy), liraglutide (Victoza) and dulaglutide (Trulicity) did not appear to affect the bioavailability of oral contraceptives. The Mounjaro manufacturer recommends using barrier contraception, such as condoms, for four weeks after starting the drug or a dosage increase, or to switch to a non-oral contraception, such as an IUD or Nexplanon implant. Additionally, GLP-1s can also induce nausea or vomiting. If that happens, Miller says it 'doesn't matter whether you see the pill' in your vomit – you won't truly know if it was digested, so she recommends using backup protection if experiencing these side effects. GLP-1s may boost fertility for women with PCOS Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), an endocrine condition in which a woman's ovaries and/or adrenal glands overproduce male sex hormones called androgens, affects 8% to 18% of reproductive-aged women and is a leading cause of infertility in women. Hormonal imbalances associated with PCOS make it difficult to lose weight, yet some clinics won't perform egg retrievals on patients unless they're below a certain BMI. Fat cells release estrogen, so the more a person gains, the more estrogen they'll have, Shah said. Excess estrogen can prevent regular menstruation and ovulation, which can make it hard to get pregnant. Obesity causes insulin resistance as well, which can lead to high levels of male sex hormones like testosterone that don't support pregnancy and affect egg quality, Shah said. 'These weight loss medications are game changers for women with PCOS or infertility,' Dr. Utsavi Shah, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology specializing in obesity medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, previously told USA TODAY. 'It's their effect on weight loss that's helping regulate their menstrual cycles, thereby increasing their chances of getting pregnant.' Questions to ask your doctor before starting weight loss medications For patients looking to start taking GLP-1s, Miller says it's imperative to discuss their full health history with a trusted medical provider. This includes reviewing interactions with current medications, like birth control, and creating a game plan to reduce potential complications. The decision to start taking a GLP-1 is a personal one. 'It's important to empower people to make these kinds of choices for themselves,' Miller says. 'There shouldn't be judgment in people's decisions for healthcare.' However, experts recommend only taking weight loss medications if you meet the criteria for their use. Zepbound and WeGovy, for example, are approved for weight management in adults who have obesity or are overweight with at least one weight-related condition, such as high blood pressure or Type 2 diabetes. And if you suspect you're pregnant while taking a weight loss drug, stop it immediately, Rodgers said, then follow up with your obstetrician. Contributing: Katie Camero
