Big Pharma Cash Grab: Semaglutide Drugs Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Wegovy Prescriptions Surge, Leaving Patients at Mercy of Insurers

The article, rewritten:

Demand for semaglutide, a drug treating diabetes, obesity, and heart disease, has surged with a 442% increase in prescriptions from Jan '21 to Dec '23. The medication is found in 3 popular drugs: Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Wegovy.

If only certain patient populations get access to these medications — those primarily with private insurance, more generous health plans — then there's a huge percentage of the U.S. population that isn't getting access to these medications" - lead author Christopher Scannell to Axios

Private Insurance Privileges

Privately insured patients are more likely to obtain these prescriptions. Government-funded programs like Medicare/Medicaid often don't cover costs, leaving many unable to afford the $10,000+ annual treatment.

Per IQVIA's National Prescription Audit Payer Trak, privately insured patients accounted for 90% of Wegovy fills in Dec '23, while Medicare Part D patients were a mere 1.2%.

Medicare is prohibited by law from covering the 40%+ of Americans who are obese but lack serious risk factors.

Surging Federal Spending

KFF analysis found Medicare spending on 3 semaglutide drugs (↗$57M in '18 to $5.7B in '22): Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Mounjaro. At $1,350/month per patient, federal spending is set to soar, with KFF estimating $3B/yr if just 1 in 10 eligible adults use Wegovy.

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Original article: here