Fox Health: Diabetes patients now have access to first generic GLP-1 medication: ‘More accessible and affordable’

[riky]

Diabetes patients now have access to first generic GLP-1 medication: 'More accessible and affordable'

The first-ever generic GLP-1 medication — a duplicate version of Teva Pharmaceuticals' Victoza — was launched on June 25. Doctors explain the potential benefits for diabetes patients....                        ...                        ...                            ...Ozempic, Wegovy and other GLP-1 medications have gained widespread popularity for weight loss and You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login in recent years — but the spike in demand has made it difficult for some people to get the drugs.......To help eliminate supply chain snafus, the first-ever generic GLP-1 — a duplicate of Victoza — launched on June 25.......Manufactured by Novo Nordisk and distributed and sold by Israel-based Teva Pharmaceuticals, Victoza is an injectable medication intended to treat type 2 diabetes. It has also been shown to You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login in certain patients, although that is not its intended use.......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......While Ozempic and Wegovy contain semaglutide and Mounjaro has tirzepatide, Victoza has liraglutide as its active ingredient......."By launching an authorized generic for Victoza (liraglutide injection 1.8mg), we are providing patients with type 2 diabetes another option for this important treatment," said Ernie Richardsen, SVP, head of U.S. commercial generics at Teva, in a press release from the company.......The new authorized generic is the You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login as brand-name Victoza, but without the brand name on the label and sold at a lower price point, explained Alyssa Billingsley, PharmD, the senior director of Pharmacy Content at GoodRx in St. Louis, Missouri.......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......Just as Wegovy is a higher-dose version of Ozempic You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, there is a higher-dose version of Victoza — sold under the brand name Saxenda — but a generic version is not yet available......."This is a positive step forward to making GLP-1 agonist medications more accessible and affordable," Billingsley told Fox News Digital via email. ......This class of drugs has a growing list of beneficial applications beyond just treating You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, Billingsley noted, but their cost can be a barrier for many people to access them......."In general, authorized generics are usually priced at a discount, potentially making them a more affordable option for some people," she said. ......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......"However, some insurers may still prefer brand-name Victoza, even with a lower-cost authorized generic available."......Patients should check with their You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login to confirm which options are covered and what they can expect to pay, Billingsley advised.......Dr. Brett Osborn, a Florida neurologist and You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login agreed that the availability of the first generic GLP-1 is "great news."......The generic's lower price point is particularly beneficial for people who have chronic conditions like diabetes, Osborn noted — "where long-term medication use is necessary to prevent downrange effects like vascular disease, You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, cancer, neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's, and obesity, the latter of which is also a 'gateway disease,'" he said. ......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......Teva's wholesaler acquisition cost (WAC) for the generic will be 13.6% lower than with Victoza, Teva told Fox News Digital. ......"As a reminder, WAC pricing does not account for the price discounts offered to customers and is not reflective of our final net price, which can be even lower," the company added. ......There are some differences between the generic version of Victoza and Ozempic and other GLP-1 agonists, doctors noted.......The new drug's active ingredient is liraglutide instead of Ozempic's semaglutide — and it is approved for use in both adults and children You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login who have diabetes.......Semaglutides are not yet approved for children.......There are also dosing differences — while semaglutides like Ozempic are given once each week, liraglutide medications require daily dosing because they have a shorter half-life, the doctor said......."Each medication has pros and cons," Osborn said. "At base level, however, the molecules are similar and subserve identical bodily functions — appetite suppression and the promotion of insulin secretion from the pancreas."......You are not allowed to view links. Register or LoginYou are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......The most common side effects of liraglutides include You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, diarrhea, decreased appetite, indigestion and constipation, according to the company's release. Other, more serious side effects are possible.......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......Patients who experience adverse or lingering side effects should see a You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login....

Source: You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login