Doctor: How patients can afford weight loss medications like Ozempic

• The high price of weight loss drugs is frustrating for patients who don't have access to them, a doctor said.
• Patients have difficulty affording these medications, leading them to cycle, ration, or use risky alternatives.
• Insurance companies often don't cover the cost of the medication and it can take years for prices to come down.

Drug companies are facing a new wave of criticism over the high prices of breakthrough weight-loss drugs.

GLP-1 drugs such as semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) are skyrocketing in popularity, helping people lose up to 15-20% of their body weight and even reduce their risk of heart attack.

But a list price of around $1,000 per month or more means the treatments are unaffordable for many patients.

It also puts doctors in a difficult position: They want to prescribe these potentially life-changing medications, but know they may be sending their patients on a complicated financial journey.

“Patients I speak with have tried almost every strategy to obtain anti-obesity medication,” Dr. Christopher McGowana gastroenterologist and obesity medicine specialist, told Business Insider.

Many insurers stopped providing coverage last year, McGowan said.

“While it is clear that semaglutide and tirzepatide represent huge advances in the treatment of obesity, what does it matter if no one can afford them?” McGowan said.

The end result is this The people who need these drugs most are taking unknown, unexplored risks to get the drugs.

Patients are rationing doses to reduce costs

GLP-1 drugs work by mimicking a hormone in the body that helps regulate appetite and blood sugar.

The latest generation of this class of drugs, drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound, are once-weekly injections.

The caveat is that one must continue taking the medication to maintain weight loss. However, McGowan said this is simply not possible at current price levels.

“That’s why we see so often that patients are constantly taking and stopping medications. Unfortunately, short-term use does not result in long-term benefits,” he said.

In some cases, patients say they have tried reducing their doses and have found their weight increasing again.

Copycat drugs dominate the online market

A booming industry of websites and telehealth companies has seized the opportunity to sell patients their weight-loss medications cheaply, but there's a big catch, according to McGowan.

These providers offer compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide, which contain the same active ingredient as brand-name products but are not FDA-approved.

“The complex GLP-1 market has exploded,” he said. “These medications are everywhere and are incredibly easy to obtain at a fraction of the cost of brand name medications. However, this completely unregulated industry poses significant risks in terms of quality, safety and effectiveness.”

It could take years for prices to come down

Political pressure on pharmaceutical companies could influence drug prices, according to Ted Kyle, a health expert with decades of experience in policy, marketing and obesity treatment.

“It's going to be really messy, but in five years prices will be more reasonable, access will be much better, and more people will be served with much less blame and shame,” Kyle told Business Insider.

Competitive pressures will also help drive down prices as companies try to win consumers back to their brand with cheaper options for weight-loss drugs.

However, McGowan said he is not optimistic that the situation for his patients will improve in the near future.

“We can beg insurers to cover the cost of drugs and beg pharmaceutical companies to lower prices, but there is simply no incentive for them to do so right now,” McGowan said.