Summary
New pricing deals and aggressive marketing are making weight loss drugs like GLP-1s more mainstream in the pharmaceutical market. Companies like Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk have lowered prices and struck deals to increase access, even as patients face high costs and potential side effects. The drugs have shown potential uses beyond weight loss, but ongoing research is needed.
Key Facts
- Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk made deals with President Trump to lower prices and expand access to GLP-1 weight-loss drugs for people on Medicare.
- Around 1 in 8 Americans are currently using GLP-1 drugs for weight loss or chronic conditions.
- Some patients still have to pay the full cost out of pocket, despite insurance coverage.
- GLP-1 drugs can cause side effects like nausea and vomiting, leading some users to stop taking them.
- The companies are developing pill forms of GLP-1s, which are easier to store and might cost less.
- GLP-1s are being tested for other medical conditions, but results have been mixed so far.
- Novo Nordisk's GLP-1 pill did not succeed in halting Alzheimer's progression in recent trials.
- There is interest in how these drugs work in the brain, with potential applications for addiction and Parkinson's disease.
