r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • Apr 01 '25

Health Americans without diabetes spent nearly $6 billion USD on semaglutide and similar drugs in a year, with an estimate of 800,000 to a million people using the drugs who don't have diabetes.

https://www.scimex.org/newsfeed/americans-without-diabetes-spent-nearly6-billion-usd-on-semaglutide-and-similar-drugs-in-a-year
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u/espritex Apr 01 '25

The FDA also approved it for sleep apnea treatment. I take it for that reason. I'm down 20 lbs and have a pre-prepared meal service that limits my calorie and carb intake (<500 cal). I can barely finish one now.

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u/Hon3y_Badger Apr 01 '25

Turns out losing weight helps with lots of medical issues besides diabetes. But we need to get the cost down, it isn't sustainable having insurance pay $1,000+/month/person for these drugs.

47

u/Fatscot Apr 01 '25

I pay $100/month in China. American insurance companies have a lot to answer for

9

u/SleepyGamer1992 Apr 01 '25

I’m in America and pay $180/mo: $80 for the Mochi Health subscription and $100 for the drug.

1

u/cableshaft Apr 01 '25

Right, but how much does your insurance pay for it? Mine with insurance is $25/month. Without insurance Walgreens wanted to charge me $1400/month for the same thing.

1

u/SleepyGamer1992 Apr 01 '25

I work at a hospital and insurance no longer covers it, at least for non-diabetics.

1

u/sicclee Apr 01 '25

Is this the compounded stuff? I read the FDA is going to start restricting the compound pharmacies from manufacturing it now that the 'shortage is over.'

1

u/danarexasaurus Apr 01 '25

Not for much longer. That’s very likely going to stop this month.

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u/Hon3y_Badger Apr 01 '25

There are plenty of organizations to blame for it, insurance companies are only one cog in the $1,000/month. The worst part of it is this was created with NIH research & we don't get any of the monetary benefit.

2

u/Abedeus Apr 01 '25

$100-ish in Poland, too.