Healthcare market Sesame on Wednesday announced a new clinical weight loss program that will help eligible consumers get a compounded version of Novo NordiskThe blockbuster weight loss drug Wegovy costs $249 per month.
Sesame lets patients book and pay doctors and specialists directly through its website, cutting out middlemen such as insurance companies.
The company said it is adding compound semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy and Novo Nordisk’s diabetes injection Ozempic, to its platform to help users get it safely for obesity and diabetes at a time when many brand-name drugs are in short supply. treat. Sesame already offers branded weight loss and diabetes drugs through its platform, including through partnership and costco.
But the company’s new plan could serve as a more affordable weight-loss alternative because compounded drugs Often cheaper than branded equivalents. Insurance for Wegovy and Ozempic costs about $1,000 a month, and most weight loss plans from rival digital health companies don’t cover the cost of the drugs.
Michael Botta, president and co-founder of Sesame, said: “Given the shortage of drug supply, we are offering our users a compound semaglutide at a very affordable price on behalf of American consumers.” In an interview with CNBC. “In fact, we think this may be the most affordable price point consumers can find in this category.”
Wegovy and Ozempic belong to a very popular class of weight loss and diabetes drugs called GLP-1, which mimic certain gut hormones to suppress patients’ appetite and regulate blood sugar. These treatments have exploded in popularity in recent years, with some analysts predicting the industry may Over $100 billion annual revenue by 2030.
Supply shortages are one of the biggest obstacles facing Novo Nordisk and its main rival Eli Lilly and Co, as a surge in demand could make it difficult for many patients to find treatments. When there is a shortage of brand-name GLP-1 drugs, some manufacturers can prepare compounded versions if they meet FDA requirements.
According to the FDA, the lowest dose of Wegovy is in short supply, but all other doses and Ozempic are available Drug Shortage Database.
Combination drugs are customized alternatives to brand-name drugs designed to meet specific patient needs, such as an inability to swallow pills or an allergy to a product’s dye. These combination medicines can be prescribed, prepared and dispensed under both parts of the Act. Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.
that law created two classes of compounding pharmacies. The FDA regulates so-called 503B pharmacies, which can make large quantities of drugs without a separate prescription. Meanwhile, 503A compounding pharmacies can customize medications for individual patients and are primarily regulated by states rather than the FDA.
But both Wegovy and Ozempic are covered by patents in the U.S. and abroad, and Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly don’t make the active ingredients in their drugs available to outside parties. The companies say this raises questions about the products some manufacturers sell and market to consumers.
Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have both stepped in to address illegal versions of their treatments, suing weight loss clinics, medical spas and compounding pharmacies across the United States over the past year. The FDA also stated last month that report received Patients who have overdosed on co-semaglutide due to a dosing error (e.g., the patient self-administered an incorrect dose of treatment).
Botha said Sesame initially “stayed away” from compounded drugs because the company was unsure about its purity and quality. But he said the more Sesame knows, the more As for the compounded versions of GLP-1, “the more we find that they work, they seem to be quite safe. People tend to have good experiences when they take them.”
Sesame Group subsequently sent a team to inspect multiple 503B compound pharmacies.
“We decided to work with a compounding pharmacy that certainly met our standards when it came to checking its processes, quality and yields,” Botha said.
Compounding pharmacies partnering with Sesame will produce prefilled disposable syringes, rather than bottles of medication that patients must measure themselves. Botha said this could help patients “avoid the risks of overfilling a syringe, overinjecting, taking too much – an overdose of this drug.”
To participate in Sesame’s new program, patients must fill out an enrollment form and select a health care provider. They will consult with the provider via video, get some lab work done, and get a prescription if the provider deems it appropriate.
Patients will be able to receive ongoing consultations via video chat and a library of nutrition, fitness and mindfulness content. The content won’t be available immediately after the new show launches Wednesday, but Sesame Street said it will be available in about two weeks.
The company added that anyone who signs up during this period will automatically receive access as it becomes available.
“There are millions of Americans who are struggling with obesity itself and all of the downstream effects of obesity,” Botha said. “We think being able to connect patients who are struggling with supply shortages is something worth doing. ”
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