As headlines multiply about the use of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist medications for weight loss, Prime Therapeutics (Prime) remains committed to delving into the data to share real-world insights about utilization, helping empower health plans and providers to make smart coverage and prescribing decisions.  

At the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) Nexus 2025 in National Harbor, Maryland, Prime Therapeutics (Prime) health outcomes leaders shared key insights from the company’s platinum-award-winning research poster, “Trends in Real-World Persistence to Weight-Loss-Indicated Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists from 2021 to 2024 Among Commercially Insured Adults Without Diabetes.”  

Of the 375 poster submissions this year, four were selected for a platinum award. Authors of 
these four posters took the stage to share their research, including Landon Marshall, PharmD, Ph.D., principle health outcomes researcher at Prime, who shared insights from the study first shared earlier this year.  

As demand for this class of drugs increases, costs remain high, Marshall explained. This makes it important to identify whether individuals are remaining adherent to their treatment and obtaining benefits of therapy. In fact, Marshall noted, a 1% increase in GLP-1 use among commercially insured groups creates $10 or more in per-member per-month (PMPM) spend, leading to concerns about affordability of these drugs at scale.   

Marshall went on to explain the design of the study, including the criteria used to determine persistence. In the end, year-over-year persistence among those taking a GLP-1 for obesity from 2021 to 2024 has nearly doubled. Among the anticipated reasons for this increase was resolving supply chain issues for the drug.  

“We knew the supply chain issue was a problem (with therapy persistence), so we (believe) that persistence has increased with stabilization,” he said.  

But will year-over-year persistence continue to improve, as one attendee asked? Marshall seems skeptical. “There’s a lot of work to be done in this space,” he said. 

“We’ll keep an eye out for your poster next year,” concluded Laura Happe, PharmaD, MPH, editor in chief of the Journal of Managed Care and Specialty Pharmacy. 

Stay tuned for more AMCP Nexus 2025 content throughout the week at the Prime newsroom.