Top 5 Obesity Articles of 2024
Here are the top performing articles about obesity published this year on Managed Healthcare Executive.
1. GLP-1 Tiering Agreement Reached, Says Optum Rx President
Health plans that use Optum Rx as their pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) will be allowed to tier their coverage of GLP-1s and still receive rebates under an agreement the PBM has reached with the manufacturers, says the PBM president. Optum officials said later that the negotiations were still ongoing.
2. Diabetes Weight Loss Drugs Could be Linked to Reduced Risk of MS, Study Finds
Drug repurposing has recently emerged as an attractive pathway for developing new treatments due to its relatively fast and cost-efficient trajectory. Because obesity and MS share inflammatory properties, researchers used data from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System to investigate the association between weight loss-inducing drugs and MS.
3. GLP-1 Drugs for Obesity May Not Have to be All or Nothing
A simulation model projects there could savings if patients are switched to lower cost drugs or programs after initial weight loss using GLP-1 drugs.
4. Obesity, Heavy Smoking and Short Sleep Linked to Increased Risk of Multiple Myeloma
Those who suffer from obesity, heavy smoking and short sleep have a higher chance of developing mass spectrometry (MS) and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), which can often lead to multiple myeloma.
5. Lilly Introduces Zepbound Single-Dose Vial for Cash-Paying Patients
The monthly price of the 2.5 mg Zepbound single-dose vial is $399 and the 5 mg dose is $549, which Lilly officials said is in line with the savings program for without insurance.
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Conversations with Perry and Friends: Saar Mahna, J.D., MBA
July 7th 2025Perry Cohen, Pharm.D., a longtime member of the Managed Healthcare Executive editorial advisory board, is host of the "Conversations with Perry and Friends" podcast. In this episode, Cohen speaks with Saar Mahna, J.D., MBA, CEO and founder of Banjo Health, an artificial intelligence company focused on prior authorization.
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PBM-Offered Genomics Testing Could Reshape Prescribing of Medications
July 25th 2025Two PBMs, True Rx Health Strategies and Capital Rx, are using pharmacogenomics — how a person’s DNA affects their response to medications — to reduce the trial-and-error of prescribing medications, saving employers and patients time and money.
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Conversations With Perry and Friends: Paul Fronstin, Ph.D.
May 9th 2025Perry Cohen, Pharm.D., a longtime member of the Managed Healthcare Executive editorial advisory board, is host of the Conversations with Perry and Friends podcast. In this episode, his guest is Paul Fronstin, Ph.D., director of health benefits research at the Employee Benefit Research Institute.
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FDA Accepts Tabelecleucel BLA; Priority Review Granted for Post-Transplant Disease Therapy
July 24th 2025The FDA has accepted the resubmitted BLA for tabelecleucel (tab-cel), intended for the treatment of Epstein-Barr virus positive post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (EBV+ PTLD).
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