GLP-1s: Patients Shed Pounds, Payers Gain Problems | Asembia 2024
The way the drugs have taken off, combined with the number of people in the U.S. who are obese, have made the GLP-1s "an acute problem for every U.S. payer,” says George Van Antwerp, MBA, a manager director at Deloitte.
In an interview prior to his presentation at the Asembia 2024 meeting, George Van Antwerp, MBA, a managing director at Deloitte, discussed the GLP-1s, especially those that have been approved for weight los, a group that includes Wegovy (semaglutide) and Zepbound (tirzepatide).
Antwerp discussed making the GLP-1s part of more comprehensive obesity programs that include help with eating better, more effective sleep and exercise.
Many companies are working on fitting them into an "overall metabolic syndrome solution" so that they are a tool, not the only tool. Still, Antwerp said the way the drugs have taken off, combined with the number of people in the U.S. who are obese, has made the GLP-1s "an acute problem for every U.S. payer."
"This probably one of the first times we have seen the drug spend in the traditional category, which is where most people would put the GLP-1s, exceed the specialty growth curve," said Van Antwerp, citing IQVIA data.
GLP-1 Tiering Agreement Reached, Says Optum Rx President
May 3rd 2024Health plans that use Optum Rx as their pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) will be allowed to tier their coverage of GLP-1s and still receive rebates under an agreement the PBM has reached with the manufacturers, says the PBM president. Optum officials said later that the negotiations were still ongoing,
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Specialty Pharmacies Drive Cost Savings in Value-Based Care | Asembia 2024
May 2nd 2024Earlier this week at the 2024 Asembia Specialty Pharmacy Summit in Las Vegas, Managed Healthcare Executive editors spoke with Bill McElnea, vice president of population health at Shields Health Solutions, about specialty pharmacies reducing costs for patients.
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