Given that obesity is strongly associated with many chronic conditions, it comes as no surprise that manufacturers are looking to treat these conditions by exploring new FDA indications for GLP-1s. Current conditions being studied range from chronic kidney disease, sleep apnea, and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis to conditions not commonly associated with obesity like Alzheimer's, addiction, substance abuse, and smoking cessation. Notably, the FDA approved a new indication for the use of Wegovy(R) to reduce the risk of serious cardiovascular events in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD) & overweight or obesity in March 2024.
While these research developments underscore the potential of GLP-1s treating diseases beyond diabetes and obesity, the emergence of new indications is not without its challenges -- particularly issues stemming from GLP-1 medication shortages, high costs, and potential hurdles in providing coverage.
Omada Health's Chief Medical Officer, Carolyn Bradner Jasik, MD, and Clinical Pharmacist Ketan Patel, PharmD from Mercer share insights in how GLP-1 medications have expanded to treat additional chronic conditions, particularly CVD, and the questions that remain for how to integrate these treatments affordably and efficiently into care models. Specifically, they cover the following:
- What are the new indications being studied?
- What do additional indications mean for health outcomes and cost?
- Will this expansion impact employer coverage?
- When it comes to 2025 benefits planning, what should employers be thinking about or doing to prepare for expanded indications?
