About 700,000 new Medicare beneficiaries have started GLP-1 treatment since the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge launched in July, and 70% of those patients are taking Eli Lilly medicines, Lilly CEO Dave Ricks told CNBC in a Sept. 21 interview.
The Bridge program gives eligible Medicare Part D beneficiaries access to Zepbound, Foundayo and injectable or oral Wegovy for a $50 monthly copay, with manufacturers supplying the drugs at a net price of $245 per monthly supply. The program runs through December 2027.
Mr. Ricks told CNBC Zepbound is capturing much of the new patient volume, with physicians still favoring it for patients with the highest body weights and complications. Lilly’s oral pill Foundayo, aimed at patients looking to lose less weight, now accounts for a third of new patients starting oral GLP-1s, he said. Mr. Ricks said he has not heard of major logistical issues with the rollout and credited CMS with managing the launch well.
The update follows reporting last week that pharmacies were seeing stronger-than-expected interest in the Bridge program, though one Walgreens executive cautioned the “biggest watch-out” is what happens to beneficiaries’ coverage once the demonstration ends.
