Novo Nordisk's weight-loss drug faces new challenge: only a quarter of patients stick with it for two years
1min read An analysis of pharmacy claims data in the US found that only a quarter of patients were still taking Wegovy or Ozempic from Novo Nordisk to treat obesity two years after starting treatment. The analysis also showed that adherence rates fell steadily over time. The analysis did not include the reasons why patients stopped taking the drugs, but it did provide a longer-term perspective on the real-world experience of patients taking the drugs, which previous research has focused on for one year or less. The fact that many patients may stop taking the drug soon after starting it is having an impact on the debate about the cost of these drugs to patients, employers and government healthcare plans. Wegovy and other similar drugs can cost over $1,000 a month and may need to be taken for a long time to produce significant benefits. Recently, US President Biden and other government officials have criticised the price of these drugs in the US, saying that if only half of obese adults took them, they could cost the US $411bn a year, more than half the amount spent on prescription drugs in the US in 2022.