(Reuters) -Digital health company Waltz Health said on Friday it has launched a program to offer popular weight-loss drugs from Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly directly to employers, bypassing traditional drug sales channels.
Waltz said employees can access the drugs through their existing healthcare providers or a telehealth option integrated into the program, which is expected to launch on January 1 next year.
The direct-to-employer structure is designed to eliminate “unnecessary friction and delivers consistent pricing, adherence monitoring and real-time clinical review,” the company added.
Danish drugmaker Novo and its U.S. rival Lilly have been trying to eliminate unapproved, compounded versions, made by combining, mixing or altering drug ingredients, of their blockbuster weight-loss treatments.
The drugmakers currently dominate the lucrative obesity treatment market, which analysts estimate could be worth $150 billion annually by the early 2030s, with their highly effective drugs designed to mimic the appetite-suppressing GLP-1 hormone.
“Transparent initiatives like these enable more employers to opt in to coverage for authentic, FDA-approved GLP-1 medicines while providing people who need care with a seamless experience that allows them to prioritize their health,” a Novo Nordisk spokesperson told Reuters.
(Reporting by Mariam Sunny in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri)
