Until the outbreak of COVID-19 four years ago, you probably didn’t know what a glucagon-like peptide 1 agonist was, or GLP-1 drughe was. But this class of drugswhich help people with type 2 diabetes and obesity to lower blood sugar and promote weight lossnow it’s a household name.
“It’s everywhere,” dr. Razia Hashmi, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association (BCBSA) vice president for clinical affairs, said Tuesday during a town hall at Wealth‘with Brainstorm Health conference in Dana Point, California. “That’s part of our conversation. It’s on social media, your family talks about it, we talk about it in the boardroom, we talk about it in the break room. Obviously there’s a lot of excitement about it – adoption has been exponential – but it’s there still so much to learn.”
Not everything is positive, as he reveals new study which he implements Blue health intelligence which surveyed nearly 170,000 GLP-1 users who were prescribed the weight loss drug. Published on Tuesdayit’s “the largest study ever done, a real-world evidence study” of the drug, Hashmi said.
The study shows that patients are not taking the medicine correctlydespite skyrocketing popularity: net sales of anti-obesity drugs such as semaglutide, or Wegovyhit 1.1 billion dollars in the second quarter of 2023, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
Most patients taking GLP-1 drugs for weight management did not stay on prescribed treatment for at least 12 weeks, meaning they were unlikely to achieve clinically significant weight loss. Young adults (aged 18 to 34) were more likely to drop out earlier, with more than 30% of all patients dropping out after just four weeks, before reaching their target dose.
Gastrointestinal side effects of GLP-1, including nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, may be why people do not complete treatment, the study found. But because the drug is intended to treat obesity and type 2 diabetes — both serious, chronic conditions — stopping without a doctor’s advice can be dangerous.
“One has to ask why?” Hashmi said. One clue, she said, comes from the prescriber: “Your donor is important. If your doctor is trained in endocrinology, if he’s trained and certified in obesity management, the likelihood that you’ll stay on treatment is much, much higher.
“The other thing we found is that every additional visit to your doctor, regardless of specialty, increases your chances of reaching that significant weight loss goal by 60%.”
Another finding Hashmi highlighted was that support for diet, nutrition, behavioral health and side effect management is important. The same applies to health equity; the study found that people who lived in underserved areas were less likely to complete 12 weeks of treatment.
Andrew Nuscaeditorial director Wealth‘with Brainstorm conference seriesmoderated the town hall, where they were also present dr. Rami Bailonyco-founder and CEO Enara Health. Acknowledging that such research on the use and outcomes of GLP-1 is needed, Bailony emphasized that drugs should be only one component in obesity management.
“(GLP-1s) will change the way we care, but ultimately, what matters is the framework in which they are delivered,” he said. “Our mission is to provide data-driven personalized treatment, and we’re doing that by integrating directly into primary care and cardiology, and (it’s) the data layer that will personalize that treatment that will ultimately make the difference. “
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