Can’t get your hands on Ozempic? More weight loss drugs are coming to market, and their affordability is promising. Here are six to look out for in the coming months and into next year.
1. Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) for Weight Loss
You’ve probably already heard of Tirzepatide under its brand name Mounjaro, a once-weekly injectable. So far, Mounjaro has only been approved for type two diabetes, but it’s very effective for weight loss. Studies have shown an average weight loss of 22% over a year!
It’s currently in the process of being approved by the FDA for weight loss by the end of 2023, and we’re crossing our fingers that the manufacturer releases a coupon when it’s released to make this affordable.
2. Generic Liraglutide (Saxenda)
Liraglutide isn’t new—it’s been on the market as a daily GLP-1 agonist injectable for a few years and has proven quite effective for weight loss. There’s about a 10% average weight loss with the drug across the board, and in our practice at SoWell, we tend to see a lot more.
Until this year, Liraglutide was only available under the brand name Saxenda, but it came off of its patent this year, so we expect a generic version of liraglutide to be available in 2024. Keep your eyes peeled because generic = more affordable.
3. Oral Semaglutide (Rybelsus) for Weight Loss
You’ve probably heard of Ozempic, which is injectable semaglutide. Rybelsus is an oral form on the market, but it’s currently only approved for type 2 diabetes. The drug makers are working to get approval to use this drug for weight loss.
Higher doses of this oral semaglutide show effectiveness rivaling the injectables. But the oral form is more affordable to produce than an injectable, so we’re hopeful that the price point comes down once the weight loss version of this drug hits the market.
4. Retatrutide
Retatrutide is brand new and currently in trials with Eli Lily, showing incredible results because it uses three hormones to combat obesity instead of just one or two like the currently available drugs. So far, in trials, people are losing 24% of their total body weight in about 48 weeks. Nothing compares on the market currently, so keep your eyes out for this one.
5. Survodotide
What’s exciting about Survodotide is that it’s being produced by a new player in this space, Zealand Pharma. Until now, Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have dominated the injectable weight loss space, and theoretically, more manufacturers mean the price will go down, and we can avoid the supply chain problems we’ve seen so far.
Survodotide is a two-hormone agonist, which is what Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) is, and it sees similar results with an average of 20% weight loss seen in patients.
6. Orforglipron
Of all the drugs on this list, Orforglipron is the one to watch. It’s the FIRST oral nonpeptide GLP-1, and since it’s a nonpeptide, it’s easier to produce, meaning lowered costs. So far, they’ve seen about 15% average weight loss at 40 weeks, which is very exciting.
When you start seeing the buzz about these drugs in the coming months, remember you heard it here first! As of the time of writing this article in July 2023, the current weight loss drug options are extremely expensive and hard to access. We’re hopeful that these new developments will make weight loss drugs more accessible to all who need them, and we will be incorporating them into our virtual practice as they become available. Apply to the practice now to get on the waitlist!
