STAT April 3, 2024
The latest weight loss drugs are good. Really good. They can save lives and could literally remake American health. But rather than celebrate, we’re having a political conversation that is all about price controls. Oscar Wilde’s warning is timely: Beware the fool who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.
We and several of our colleagues have studied the new weight loss drugs, known as GLP-1s, like Wegovy (semaglutide) and Zepbound (tirzepatide), and modeled their impact. They represent huge value in treating obesity. More than 40% of adults in the U.S. have obesity; another one-third are overweight. An estimated 300,000 Americans die from obesity-related conditions each year.
Individuals with obesity participating in a clinical trial of Wegovy...