Cost a Major Barrier to New Weight-Loss Drugs

EARLY HALF (45%) of people responding to a KFF Health Tracking Poll said they were at least somewhat interested in taking one of the newer prescription weight-loss drugs, including people who only wanted to drop a few pounds.

But when presented with potential financial and medical risks, a large percentage of people lost interest.

One-third of U.S. adults (33.6%) have obesity compared to an average of 17.1% across peer nations. In addition to having the highest obesity rates, the U.S is currently faces significantly higher prices for several major drugs used for weight loss and other health needs, according to a new KFF analysis of the list prices for semaglutide and tirzepatide drugs. Read more here.