Research has shown patients often regain weight after halting use of popular weight loss drugs. But staying on medications like Ozempic and Wegovy indefinitely can be pricey.
This has left many patients taking GLP-1s scouring for discount coupons, turning to older anti-obesity treatments or switching to a different GLP-1, The Wall Street Journal reported Feb. 22. With health plans tightening restrictions on coverage of the drugs for weight loss, many patients rely on manufacturer savings cards to limit what they pay out of pocket for semaglutide, the active ingredient in the class of drugs that carry a list price of over $1,000 a month without insurance.
But those can expire, and when they do, patients regain weight unless they can afford to continue paying for the drugs or are able to quickly secure insurance approval for a different GLP-1.
Meanwhile, older classes of anti-obesity treatments may carry more side effects, and compounded versions carry safety and quality risks, according to regulators.
Physicians say more research is needed to determine the best paths for patients looking to stop taking the drugs. For now, experts recommend gradually reducing the dosage over time for those who want to transition off the medications.
"If you do it abruptly, it's practically guaranteed you're going to regain weight," Dan Azagury, MD, medical director of Stanford Lifestyle and Weight Management Clinic, told the news outlet. "Sometimes hunger comes back really significantly, and it's really hard to fight that if you stop it overnight."