Finance Associated Press, December 6 (edited by Niu Zhanlin).According to an analysis of U.S. medical records and insurance claims data, 40% of patients who took Novo Nordisk** Wegovy during 2021 or 2022 were still taking the drug a year later, which is more than three times that of the regular drug**.
Specifically, researchers reported Wednesday in the journal Obesity that, by comparison, between 2015 and 2022, only 13% of patients from Orexigen Therapeutics' drug Contr continued to take the drug one year laterHowever, only 10% of patients are willing to continue taking QSYMIA, a combination drug of VIVUS, after one year.
This indicates a higher level of medication adherence to Wegovy, i.e., how well patients use their medications on time, in the right amount, and as prescribed as recommended by their doctor or healthcare professional. High adherence means that patients are more likely to continue to use the medication, which helps to maintain the efficacy of the medication and ultimately achieve the highest goals. Of course, it also illustrates the effectiveness and huge demand of Wegovy.
The results of the study are based on data from 1,911 adults, 25% of whom took wegovy. Novo Nordisk previously said that a trial by Wegovy showed that the drug not only helped people**, but also reduced the risk of heart attack, stroke and death from cardiovascular disease by 20%.
Overall, 75% of participants were women, 76% were white, 16% were black, and 45% are Hispanic. Most of them have private insurance.
The researchers found that over a 6-month period, those with better results were also more likely to stick with it after 1 year. But the study did not specify what exactly the patient stopped discontinuing the drug for.
However, there are differences in adherence rates among private insurance participants, which may be affected by insurance coverage limitations, as these drugs are not cheap.
According to the same study published in July by drug maker Prime Therapeutics, about a third of the 4,255 patients who started taking Wegovy in 2021 were still taking the drug a year later.
Novo Nordisk's Wegovy sells for $1,349 per month, while rival Eli Lilly's Zepbound listed in U.S. pharmacies this week has a list price of $1,059 per month$87. However, most patients pay much less**, especially if they have commercial insurance that covers the drug in question.
Dr. Hamlet Gasoyan, head of research at the Cleveland Clinic, said: "The high cost and persistence of new** drugs is a growing concern, which may influence the decision-making of third-party payers. ”
Gasoyan added that they conducted the study to better understand the use of the drug in clinical practice and the barriers to continued use.
Overall, studies have shown that wegovy has significantly higher adherence rates than older** medications, and factors such as weight loss, insurance coverage, and drug costs play a role in patients' continued use of these medications.
Finance Associated Press Niu Zhanlin).