Study Finds Patients Willing to Use Lower-Cost Treatments to Keep Weight Off, Allowing More Access to GLP-1s

[Ann Arbor, Michigan] – A new U-M College of Pharmacy study, published in the American Journal of Managed Care, examines how patients with obesity view strategies to make obesity treatment more affordable while expanding access to care. 

Newer anti-obesity medications, including glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), have caught the nation by storm, in that these breakthrough drugs substantially reduce body weight and improve outcomes for weight-related conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. However, insurance coverage for weight management is limited by high drug prices, the prevalence of treatment-eligible individuals, and recommendations for lifelong therapy to prevent weight regain.

Since the long-term use of these therapies to maintain weight is a key driver of spending, published studies have suggested that the savings from substituting full-dose GLP-1 with lower-cost alternatives for maintaining weight loss would allow more patients access to drugs to help them lose weight. 

In the study, published by AJMC, “Making Obesity Care Affordable: Patient Views on Deprescribing GLP-1 RAs,” clinicians surveyed more than 700 self-identified adults with obesity across the United States to better understand their attitudes toward transitioning from full-dose injectables, including GLP-1 medications, to lower-cost treatment alternatives after achieving a weight-loss plateau.

The findings revealed strong support for this approach. More than 80% of respondents agreed with insurer strategies that would provide coverage for full-dose injectable weight-loss medications during the active weight-loss phase, while encouraging lower-cost maintenance options once patients reach their weight-loss goals. Doing so would expand access to these medications for others.

“Since two-thirds of GLP-1 spending is devoted to helping patients maintain weight loss, our survey findings that more than 8 in 10 obese individuals would switch to lower cost alternatives to keep their weight off in order to allow more people to have access to these breakthrough drugs to lose weight is very impactful,” said A. Mark Fendrick, Director of the University of Michigan Center for Value-Based Insurance Design and senior author of the study. 

At the same time, the research highlighted important patient concerns. Many respondents expressed anxiety about discontinuing GLP-1 therapies, particularly around the potential for weight regain and the long-term health implications of switching treatments. The findings underscore the importance of ensuring that effective, affordable maintenance options are available as part of any deprescribing strategy.

“Understanding patient preferences is an important part of the roadmap towards sustainable weight maintenance,” said Sarah Vordenberg, Clinical Professor and Associate Chair of the Department of Clinical Pharmacy at the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy and lead author of the study.

This collaborative study reflects the multidisciplinary collaboration led by researchers from the College of Pharmacy in partnership with colleagues across the University of Michigan Medical School and School of Public Health, including collaborator Ellah Bliler, a PharmD student at the College of Pharmacy.

As demand for GLP-1 medications continues to grow, the findings offer timely insight into how insurers and health systems can expand access while ensuring patient-centered, sustainable obesity care.

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About the College

The University of Michigan College of Pharmacy has been leading at pharmacy’s edge for 150 years. The first and oldest pharmacy school at a state university, the College — currently ranked #3 in the nation — has and continues to shape education in the field. Its faculty are internationally recognized and are innovators in drug discovery, development and delivery, precision pharmacotherapy, outcomes research, and clinical practice. More than 5,000 alumni are enhancing patient care and outcomes from the bench to the bedside, in boardrooms and communities, government agencies, and within healthcare companies.

Media Contact: Lindsay Groth, Executive Director of Marketing and Communications, cop.communications@umich.edu