Noom Calls for Affordable Choices and Fair Pricing of Weight-Loss Medications Ahead of Tuesday’s Senate Testimony

September 24, 2024 at 07:02 AM EDT

Noom will submit an official statement to the congressional record at Tuesday’s Senate hearing with three specific recommendations calling for more affordable GLP-1 medications to help end the obesity epidemic.
Noom launches a new petition requesting policymakers not to allow the only affordable GLP-1s to be forced off the market without fair brand-name pricing.
Noom encourages the Committee to focus on two key matters in a full-page advertisement in the print edition of The Wall Street Journal.

NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Noom, the leading digital healthcare company committed to chronic disease prevention and empowering people to live better longer, today issued a call for public support of a new petition demanding affordable choices and fair pricing for GLP-1 weight-loss medications.

The petition comes ahead of a landmark hearing in which a major pharmaceutical executive will testify before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP), amidst criticisms of the company’s pricing practices for their blockbuster GLP-1 medications. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Chair of the HELP Committee, has been vocal in holding pharmaceutical companies accountable to ensure fair pricing for these life-saving medications.

“If Wegovy and Zepbound are removed from the shortage list, it’s the equivalent of a price hike for every American today accessing affordable weight-loss medication via 503B FDA-regulated¹ outsourcing facilities,” said Chief Executive Officer of Noom, Geoff Cook. “Millions of people may lose access to their obesity and diabetes medications overnight, potentially putting their health in jeopardy.”

Noom appreciates the Committee highlighting this issue and recommends a cautious approach before ending access to a large supply of affordable GLP-1s, which will only make GLP-1s more difficult to access. In particular, Noom recommends three specific actions:

We encourage the committee to seek answers from the manufacturers on how they intend to guarantee they can meet the demand of patients currently taking affordably-priced medications produced via 503B FDA-regulated¹ outsourcing facilities.
We recommend a lengthy grace period for prescriptions supplied by 503B pharmacies to enable patients the time necessary to taper off and seek alternative options.
We recommend tying the length of that grace period to lowered pricing on brand-name medications, which brings their affordability in-line with global levels.

“The bottom line,” continued Cook, “is that Americans shouldn’t be paying 10x more for their weight loss meds than other countries. To address the obesity epidemic, we need more supply of affordable GLP-1s—not less. For the last year, our program only prescribed brand-name meds. We've seen firsthand how many folks can't access the medications because of the high price of the brand-name meds in the U.S. These high prices discourage health plans from covering the med, restricting access. We've seen those fortunate enough to have good insurance also not be able to access the medication because of the short supply. We prescribe brand-name meds to patients who can access them and affordably-priced medications produced via 503B FDA-regulated¹ outsourcing facilities to those who cannot.”

As part of the hearing, Noom will submit an official statement to the congressional record with these three specific recommendations calling for more affordable GLP-1 medications to help end the obesity epidemic. The statement along with the petition pose the following questions:

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Image copy: The petition is featured in the September 24th print edition of the Wall Street Journal in a full-page ad.

Obesity and related diseases, including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes, are leading causes of death in the U.S. While nearly half of American adults today are interested in taking weight loss drugs, many of those looking for GLP-1 medications face difficulties getting them. This is because in the U.S., weight loss drugs are priced substantially higher than in other countries. The list price of one popular medication is $1,349 a month in the U.S. The same product can be purchased for just $137 in Germany and $92 in the UK. Even for those who can afford them, widespread drug shortages prevent many people across the U.S. from getting their prescriptions filled. Expanded access to weight loss medications from 503B FDA-regulated¹ outsourcing facilities has allowed more people to obtain these life-changing medications quickly and affordably.

“The mission of Noom is not to sell more meds,” noted Cook. “Our mission is to empower everyone everywhere to live better longer. We have seen the extraordinary efficacy that GLP-1 medications have in combination with a powerful behavior change program like Noom’s. We consider the med in combination with healthy habits to act like a ‘self efficacy’ superpower, helping to forge long-lasting healthy habits.”

Sign the petition by visiting: https://www.noom.com/glp-1-fair-pricing-petition/

Learn more about Noom’s approach to providing affordable GLP-1 medications to Americans here: https://www.noom.com/glp-1-access-and-transparency/

About Noom:
Noom is a digital healthcare company empowering everyone, everywhere to live better longer, through an unwavering commitment to innovation and whole-person health. Noom connects people to content, coaching, community, and clinicians to promote positive behavior and healthy habits, in an effort to promote healthspan and better living. Noom also works with leading health plans and employers offering Noom Med Center Of Excellence, Noom GLP-1 Companion, Noom Healthy Weight, and Noom Diabetes Prevention to millions of covered lives. The company has been awarded multiple grants from the National Institutes of Health and was the first mobile application to be recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a certified diabetes prevention program. With offices in New York City and Princeton, NJ, Noom has been named one of Inc.'s Best Places to Work, Quartz's Best Workplaces for Remote Workers, and Fortune's Best Workplaces in Technology. For more information, please visit noom.com, subscribe to our blog, or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Contact:
Brandyn Bissinger
comms@noom.com

¹ 503B pharmacies must register with, and are regulated by, the FDA and must adhere to certain safety and efficacy standards, such as Current Good Manufacturing Practice (CGMP). 503B pharmacies regularly manufacture large batches of medications and service healthcare facilities and physician offices. The medications themselves are not FDA-approved and do not undergo FDA safety, efficacy, or quality review.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d324ed1d-50f5-42b7-bee6-4cd02c1eddb4