Continued Use of New Obesity Drug Tirzepatide Crucial for Maintaining Weight Loss

Patients face insurance hurdles for coverage, and discontinuation leads to weight rebound, posing challenges for insurers.

New research shows that tirzepatide, the latest FDA-approved obesity drug, can help people lose substantial amounts of weight, but only if they continue taking it. People who stopped taking tirzepatide after 36 weeks regained much of their lost weight within a year, while those who continued to take it lost even more, about 25% of their original weight on average.
Some patients with type 2 diabetes report having more difficulty getting reimbursed for drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro as U.S. insurers implement restrictions designed to deter doctors from prescribing the medication for weight loss. This has contributed to a recent dip in U.S. prescriptions.
Patients on the weight-loss drug Zepbound regained weight almost one year after stopping treatment. This poses a problem for insurers who may be reluctant to pay for a relatively expensive product that must be used for an unlimited period of time to remain effective.
A new study finds half of patients who use the new class of injected drugs that includes blockbusters like Ozempic and Mounjaro quit them within a year. The main factor: Gastrointestinal issues like nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
Folks who take the blockbuster weight-loss med tirzepatide (Zepbound) may regain much of the weight they lost soon after discontinuing it, new research shows. This poses a problem for insurers who may be reluctant to pay for a relatively expensive product that must be used for an unlimited period of time to remain effective.