By Amina Niasse
NEW YORK (Reuters) -Cigna will cap out-of-pocket costs at $200 per month for patients using the weight-loss drugs Wegovy and Zepbound through an add-on to its pharmacy benefit management plans, the company announced on Wednesday.
Cigna’s pricing compares to the cash-pay market for weight-loss drugs, said Harold Carter, a senior vice president at Evernorth.
The drugs, from Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, have list prices that reach $1,000 but are available for about half that or less on the manufacturers’ websites. The $200 co-pays would count toward a patient’s deductible, the cost that health plans require to be paid by patients before they cover expenses, Carter said.
In clinical trials, Wegovy and Zepbound led to a 15% to 20% reduction in body weight. The drugs work by slowing digestion and making users feel full for longer. Sales of compounded copies of Wegovy and Zepbound from companies, including Hims & Hers, Noom, Weight Watchers and Ro, soared while the name-brand drugs were in shortage.
The Food and Drug Administration’s policy allowing the copies will end on May 22. Noom last week announced it would continue to sell smaller doses of the medication after May 22. A January research study reported patients without insurance paid an average of $549 to buy Zepbound directly from Eli Lilly. Those with a discount card from Novo Nordisk paid $650 for Wegovy.
(Reporting by Amina Niasse; Editing by Caroline Humer and Lisa Shumaker)
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