Rebecca Karl stands with her prescription for Wegovy in New Columbia, Pennsylvania, US, November 13, 2023.
Hannah Pierre | Reuters
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Good evening! The use of a class of weight loss and diabetes medications is more popular than ever.
About 1 in 8 U.S. adults have used GLP-1 at some point, according to a survey conducted Friday by the health policy research organization KFF. Nearly half of these Americans, or about 6% of U.S. adults, are currently using a treatment.
That includes Novo NordiskWegovy weight loss injection and Ozempic diabetes drug, along with Eli LillyWeight loss treatment Zepbound and its diabetic counterpart Monjaro.
The survey shows that large numbers of Americans are taking these medications despite intermittent shortages caused by constant demand. The popularity of treatments has risen dramatically over the past year despite their high costs and limited insurance coverage.
Let's dive into some data.
Most adults, or more than 60%, who used GLP-1 reported taking it in part to manage chronic conditions such as diabetes or heart disease. This includes 39% who took only GLP-1 to treat a chronic condition, and 23% who took one to treat a chronic condition and lose weight.
Meanwhile, 38% of adults who took GLP-1 reported that they used it specifically to lose weight.
Notably, the use of GLP-1 varies according to race and ethnicity.
About 18% of black adults have taken a medication, about 14% of Hispanic adults have taken one, and about 10% of white adults have taken one.
Black and Latino adults in the United States have a higher rate of obesity than white adults, according to a KFF analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
The survey said there were also differences by age group.
Nearly 20% of adults ages 50 to 64 said they had taken GLP-1 before, higher than the proportions reported by other age groups.
However, younger adults were more likely than those 65 years and older to report taking GLP-1 specifically for weight loss. KFF said that may reflect the fact that the federal Medicare program does not cover prescription weight loss medications.
Medicare can only cover weight loss treatments if they are approved in the United States for an additional health benefit, such as treating diabetes and reducing the risk of heart disease.
But a majority of adults, regardless of whether they took GLP-1, said they believe Medicare should cover the cost of the drugs when they are prescribed for weight loss and for people who are overweight, according to the KFF survey.
However, more than half of adults with health insurance who took GLP-1s said their plans covered part of the cost of these drugs. Meanwhile, 24% said their insurance covered the full cost of the medication, and 19% said they paid the entire cost themselves.
The data points in this survey could change in the future as GLP-1 gains approval for use in treating other conditions, such as sleep apnea and fatty liver disease, which would put more pressure on health plans to cover it. Stay tuned for our coverage on the use of these medications.
Feel free to send any tips, suggestions, story ideas and data to Annika at annikakim.constantino@nbcuni.com.
Latest healthcare technologies
Google DeepMind announces a new AI model that can predict the structure of molecules
Buffalo Gonchar | Rocket Lite | Getty Images
Google On Wednesday, it announced a new artificial intelligence model called AlphaFold 3, which it said could elucidate the complex interactions and structures of “all the molecules of life.” The company hopes this model will transform drug discovery and biological research.
AlphaFold 3 predicts the shapes and behaviors of large biomolecules such as DNA, RNA, and proteins, as well as small molecules that are often used in pharmaceuticals, according to a Google blog post. When the model is asked to provide a list of molecules, it can show how they fit together by creating their combined 3D structure.
Modeling molecules, such as proteins, has historically been a daunting task for researchers. Experimental prediction of protein structure can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars and take years to complete, Google said. Google said AlphaFold 3 could help accelerate drug discovery and genomics research, contributing to new scientific discoveries such as “biorenewable materials and more resilient crops.”
The model was developed by Google DeepMind, which researches and builds artificial intelligence systems, and Isomorphic Labs, which explores applications of artificial intelligence in drug development. Since AlphaFold 3 includes a wide range of biomolecules, it exceeds the capabilities of AlphaFold 2, which can predict the structures of proteins.
DeepMind announced AlphaFold 2 in 2020. Google said “millions” of researchers have used it in areas such as cancer treatments, malaria vaccines and enzyme design.
AlphaFold 3 is able to predict interactions between proteins and other molecules at least 50% better than other existing methods, and the model has doubled its prediction accuracy for other interaction classes, according to the blog post.
“We believe this new technology has the potential to transform biological research,” Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, said in a post on LinkedIn.
Google said scientists will be able to access the “majority” of AlphaFold 3's capabilities for free through the new AlphaFold server. The company launched the server as part of its “ongoing commitment to sharing the benefits of AlphaFold,” the blog post said.
Researchers from Google DeepMind and Isomorphic Labs published their findings in the scientific journal Nature.
Feel free to send any tips, suggestions, story ideas and pitches to Ashley at ashley.capoot@nbcuni.com.
