1 in 8 adults in the US has taken Ozempic or another GLP-1 drug, KFF survey finds

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CNN
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About 1 in 8 adults in america has used a GLP-1 drug like Ozempic or Mounjaro in some unspecified time in the future of their life, and half of them – about 6% of adults, or greater than 15 million folks – are at the moment utilizing a prescription, in keeping with new survey data from KFF.

The US Meals and Drug Administration has reported shortages of the GLP-1 medicines Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro at numerous dosages over the previous 12 months as drugmakers have raced to maintain up with skyrocketing demand. Final week, Novo Nordisk stated that a minimum of 25,000 folks within the US are beginning its drug Wegovy every week – five times greater than had been in a position to begin the drugs every week in December.

In line with the brand new survey, most adults who’ve used these medicine have finished so to handle power circumstances akin to diabetes or coronary heart illness. Greater than 40% of respondents who’ve diabetes and a few quarter of those that have coronary heart illness stated they’ve used GLP-1 medicine.

However about 2 in 5 adults used GLP-1 medicine solely to shed weight, the KFF ballot discovered.

Neither Ozempic nor Mounjaro is accepted for weight reduction particularly; the FDA greenlit them to deal with kind 2 diabetes in 2017 and 2022, respectively. However docs generally use them off-label for weight reduction. Wegovy, which was accepted in 2021 for weight problems, comprises the identical key ingredient as Ozempic, known as semaglutide, whereas Mounjaro makes use of a barely totally different one, tirzepatide.

General, adults ages 50 to 64 had been most certainly to have used GLP-1 medicine, however youthful adults had been extra possible to make use of them solely for weight reduction, in keeping with the KFF survey.

Medicare prohibits the protection of prescription weight-loss medicine, and only one% of seniors stated that they’ve used a GLP-1 drug solely for weight reduction, in keeping with the KFF survey. However most adults – greater than 60% – say that Medicare coverage ought to be modified to incorporate protection for these medicine when prescribed for weight reduction.

Nonetheless, no matter insurance coverage protection, most adults who’ve used GLP-1 medicine stated it was troublesome to afford them, the KFF ballot discovered.

A month’s provide of GLP-1 medicine can price about $1,000, and final month, Sen. Bernie Sanders launched an investigation into the “outrageously excessive costs” that producers cost.

Amid excessive prices and restricted provide, some adults could search alternate options to the extremely sought-after medicine. Final 12 months, the FDA warned in opposition to compounded versions of semaglutide that mix, combine or alter elements in methods that aren’t regulated or accepted.

“Sufferers ought to solely acquire medicine containing semaglutide with a prescription from a licensed well being care supplier, and solely acquire medicines from state-licensed pharmacies or outsourcing services registered with FDA,” the company stated, citing stories of opposed occasions in individuals who used compounded semaglutide.

The overwhelming majority of adults who’ve used GLP-1 medicine – about 80% – stated they acquired the medicine or a prescription from a main care physician or a specialist, in keeping with the KFF survey. However about 11% stated they acquired them from an internet supplier or web site, and 10% stated they acquired them from a medical spa or aesthetic medical heart.

The KFF survey findings are primarily based on responses that had been collected from a nationally consultant pattern of practically 1,500 adults over the past week of April.

CNN’s Meg Tirrell and Tami Luhby contributed to this report.

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