In a recent announcement, Sesame Health Marketplace introduced a new clinical weight-loss initiative aimed at providing consumers with affordable access to compounded versions of the widely acclaimed obesity treatment Wegovy, priced at $249 per month.
This innovative platform facilitates direct interactions between patients and healthcare providers to schedule and pay for medical visits, bypassing traditional insurance processes.
The move includes the addition of the compound semaglutide, the lead component of Wegovy and Novo Nordisk’s diabetes treatment Ozempic, to its platform. This addition is especially timely given the current market shortage of several leading branded drugs. Sesame’s portfolio already includes a range of weight-loss and diabetes management medications, which it has strengthened through a partnership with Costco.
Michael Botta, co-founder and president of Sesame, emphasized the affordability of their new program in an interview with CNBC. “In response to the current drug shortage, we are making a compounded version of semaglutide available at a price that is probably the most competitive on the market,” he said.
GLP-1 class drugs, to which Wegovy and Ozempic belong, are growing in popularity. These drugs mimic natural gut hormones, helping to suppress appetite and regulate blood sugar levels. Industry experts predict that this market will generate more than $100 billion annually by 2030.
Despite this demand, supply issues pose significant challenges for manufacturers such as Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. However, compounded versions of these drugs can be produced to meet FDA standards during shortages.
Compound medications provide personalized treatment options, tailored to individual patient needs, such as specific allergies or dosing requirements. They are manufactured under strict regulations, classified in two sections of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, which ensure their safety and effectiveness.
However, patent protections on Wegovy and Ozempic complicate matters, with their active ingredients not readily available for third-party manufacturing. Both Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have taken legal steps to mitigate the circulation of unauthorized versions of their products.
Despite initial reservations about compounded drugs, Botta shared that Sesame’s investigations into these alternatives have confirmed their efficacy and safety. “Our thorough inspections of several 503B pharmacies have convinced us of their high standards in compounding medications,” he added.
Sesame’s program will also include pre-filled syringes to minimize dosing errors, a significant improvement over multi-dose vials.
Sesame program participants will go through an intake process, have a video consultation with a healthcare provider, complete required lab tests, and receive a prescription if their doctor deems it appropriate.
In addition to ongoing medical support, the program will soon be expanded to include a suite of educational resources on nutrition, fitness and wellness, accessible via video chat and a dedicated content library.
By focusing on both convenience and accessibility, Sesame Health Marketplace aims to provide critical support to millions of Americans struggling with obesity and related health problems, especially in the face of widespread drug shortages.
