Digital health company Noom announced Thursday that it will offer a compounded GLP-1 drug as part of a new weight loss product starting at $149.
The treatment will use the compound semaglutide, the same active ingredient in Novo Nordisk’s best-selling weight loss and diabetes drugs Wegovy and Ozempic. Noom has been offering weight loss programs for years, and consumers have been able to try these branded medications through its platform.
But Noom is the latest in a string of digital health companies to offer consumers compounded versions of drugs as cheaper alternatives amid surging demand for weight loss and diabetes drugs. his and hers Sesame Street and Sesame Street have launched similar initiatives in recent months — and the market for low-cost options has become more competitive.
“Our position is that we need more supply now, not less, especially at reasonable prices,” Noom CEO Geoff Cook said in an interview with CNBC.
Wegovy and Ozempic belong to a very popular class of drugs called GLP-1, which mimic certain gut hormones to suppress a patient’s appetite and regulate blood sugar. Compounded versions are customized alternatives to brand-name drugs that can be produced when the brand-name treatment is on the market. shortage.
Combined GLP-1 drugs are generally much less expensive than brand-name drugs. Insurance costs for both Wegovy and Ozempic are about $1,000 per month. Most insurance plans cover GLP-1 for treating diabetes, but coverage of weight-loss drugs is not widely available. The surge in demand may also make it difficult for many patients to find brand-name treatments.
Cook said consumers will pay $149 for the first month of the Noom plan, and $279 in subsequent months as doses of the drug increase.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not review the safety and efficacy of combination products; the agency has urge consumers Take an approved brand name GLP-1 medicine (if available). However, the FDA does inspect some outsourcing facilities that compound drugs, according to the FDA. website.
Noom said it is working with FDA-regulated 503B compounding pharmacies to supply the drug for its new program, called Noom GLP-1 RX.
Dr. Adonis Saremi, Noom’s chief medical officer, told CNBC: “The drug manufacturers we work with make 20 generic drugs, and epinephrine is one of them, and this life-saving drug is available across the United States. “So we’re very confident and satisfied with our review process. ”
This is what the company said Participants were also introduced to a way to taper off the compound therapy if they wanted to stop taking it. GLP-1s are intended for long-term use, meaning some patients may end up taking them indefinitely.
Cook said Noom has seen anecdotal and real-world evidence that patients are able to maintain weight loss after stopping the medication. Regardless, six of the seven patients had been off GLP-1 for two years, he said.
“It’s a doctor’s prescription, people take the medication, lose weight, and then life happens,” Cook said. “They eventually stop taking the medication, or their insurance stops covering it, they change jobs (so) it’s no longer covered ”
Cook said not everyone is able to taper off the medication, so some may stay on the medication indefinitely. The company said in a press release that it will offer a free year of Noom or a “significant drug discount” to anyone who regains weight within 18 months of following the program for a year.
Consumers can get started with the Noom GLP-1 RX program by filling out an application form on the website. Noom said a contracted physician with obesity training will review the dosing form and decide whether the combination is appropriate for the patient. If so, Noom said, the medication would be on their doorstep within a week.
Participants will learn how to inject the medication, and they can use a chat feature to speak one-on-one with coaches and Noom clinicians, the company said. Noom said they will also get a range of psychology-based programming and tools to help them prevent muscle mass loss, such as the ability to track protein intake and perform resistance training.
If a user decides they’re ready to stop taking their medication, Noom said, they can chat with a clinician or click “Start Tapering” in settings.
“I think there are a lot of people who don’t want to be on medication for the rest of their lives, and people don’t do that in the real world anyway,” Cook said. “The goal is not to sell more drugs. It’s to drive sustained weight loss results.” “
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