Patients Are Left With Few Options as GLP-1 Copycats Disappear

Michael Futter was desperate to lose weight. In February 2022, the 46-year-old from New Jersey had prediabetes and high blood pressure when his doctor asked if he had considered trying a GLP-1 medication. She prescribed him Wegovy, the blockbuster anti-obesity drug made by Novo Nordisk. At the time, Futter’s health insurance plan covered the drug, which costs $1,350 a month. He was only on the hook for a $25 copay. But when he changed jobs, none of the plans offered by his new employer covered Wegovy. He was crushed. He was losing weight fast and felt better than he had in years. He turned to an online telehealth provider, Henry Meds, to get a compounded GLP-1 instead. He switched to tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Eli Lilly’s Zepbound, at a dosage that cost $450 a month, then stepped up to a higher dosage at $550. The injectable medications have become so popular that their manufacturers have had trouble keeping up with demand. The drugs went into shortage back in 2022 and rem ... Read full article.