April 29, 2025
WW announced a pharmacy integration with Eli Lilly and Company’s LillyDirect® pharmacy provider, Gifthealth. The integration will streamline access to Lilly’s FDA-approved Zepbound® (tirzepatide) single-dose vials for WeightWatchers Clinic members with an on-label prescription from their clinician.
As part of WeightWatchers’ holistic approach to weight management, the integration will streamline access to Zepbound® by offering a vial format for eligible Zepbound self-pay patients who do not have insurance coverage.
“At WeightWatchers, we’re committed to improving access, affordability, and ease to evidence-based medications for qualified members,” said Scott Honken, PharmD, Chief Commercial Officer, WeightWatchers. “Zepbound vials offer an affordable treatment option for eligible patients without insurance coverage, and its usage continues to rise with our members. With 33% of WeightWatchers Clinic members now using Zepbound as part of their treatment plan and prescriptions for Zepbound vials increasing by over 100% in the past few months, our integration with LillyDirect’s pharmacy provider Gifthealth enables us to improve the fulfillment process and better serve our growing number of members who rely on this medication.”
Since compounders can no longer make the GLP-1 meds, that leaves many patients back at square one, struggling to afford the brand-name medications, which carry list prices of about $1,000 a month. Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have started offering their treatments at lower prices of around $350 to $700 a month, but that’s still unaffordable for many patients.rove the fulfillment process and better serve our growing number of members who rely on this medication.”
Meanwhile, Novo is expanding its efforts to sell its lower-priced Wegovy directly to patients. This morning, it announced new agreements with telehealth companies including Hims & Hers and Ro.
Following in the footsteps of Eli Lilly, Novo last month launched a new direct-to-consumer website called NovoCare Pharmacy that sells Wegovy, which normally carries a list price of about $1,350 a month, at $499 a month to patients who are paying on their own without insurance. With the new deals, patients can order this lower-priced Wegovy directly on the telehealth companies’ sites and get the treatment delivered to their homes.
Learn More About The Medical Weight Loss Market – New Report
Marketdata LLC has published anew 154-page analysis of the U.S. weight loss market, entitled: “The U.S. Medical Weight Loss Market: The Impact of GLP-1 Drugs on Doctors, Hospitals, Clinics and Franchises”, February 2025. This report presents a complete picture of the medical weight loss market in the United States, with the inter-relationships between competing MDs, clinics, surgeons, commercial weight loss companies and pharmaceutical firms.
At no other time in the U.S. weight loss market history has one product so dominated the market as have the new GLP-1 weight loss drugs. American dieters have flocked to them, shunning commercial weight loss programs such as Weight Watchers, Medifast, as well as retail and MLM meal replacements.
Demand soared in 2023 and 2024 for Ozempic, Wegovy, Saxenda, Mounjaro and Zepbound — with more new drugs coming in the next few years.
The booming market for GLP-1 drugs has attracted physicians, nurses, dieticians, telemedicine services, medical weight loss franchises, compounding pharmacies, and entrepreneurs – all looking to cash in. However, the party may soon be over for the compounders, as the FDA declared and end to the shortage of the major drugs.
Some Report Findings:
- The value of the U.S. medical weight loss market is estimated to have more than tripled since 2019, to $33.8 billion in 2024. Average annual growth of 12% is forecast through 2028.
- The prescription obesity drugs market soared from $5.0 billion in 2022 to $26.4 billion by 2024, due to the high demand for new GLP-1 drugs. More than 8% of Americans are now estimated to be using them.
- The number of weight loss surgeries has declined 25% since 2022, to 211,000 procedures, as Americans opted for the new drugs instead. This market segment is worth $5.29 billion.
- Hospitals have had a mixed record with weight loss programs. Only 29% of the nation’s hospitals (about 1,400) provide some form of weight loss program – surgery or a non-surgical program.
- Medical weight loss programs represented 11.7% of the total U.S. weight loss market in 2022, but this share is forecast to triple to 36% by 2028.
- Prescription weight loss drugs have stolen major market share from commercial weight loss companies, the meal replacements market, health clubs, the bariatric surgery market, and more.
- The top 11 medical weight loss franchises and regional chains are estimated to generate $264 million in system-wide sales annually. Most franchises are not growing.
Purchase This Report
The report may be purchased online at the Marketdata website: marketdataenterprises.com. Price: $995. Or call: 813-971-8080.
Table of Contents available, see website home page, Off The Shelf Market Reports, see link for Diet Market – Our Specialty.