- Starting price of $149 offers improved accessibility compared to market prices of brand-name medications which can be 8x higher.
- Noom stands behind its program with a “Taper-Off Guarantee” offering a pathway off supposedly forever medications.
- Solves the biggest real-world challenges with GLP-1s – poor persistence and lean muscle loss – by pairing the medication with Noom GLP-1 Companion with Muscle Defense™.
- Artificially high prices of GLP-1 medications in the U.S. versus the rest of the world mask the extent of the shortage.
- Company calls on policymakers and regulators to take into account compounding demand and maintain compounding exemptions until the price of the brand-name medications in New York and Los Angeles match their price in London and Sydney. More supply at a reasonable price is needed right now, not less.
NEW YORK, Sept. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Noom, the leading digital healthcare company committed to chronic disease prevention and empowering people to live better longer, announced it will offer compounded GLP-1 injections paired with Noom’s powerful GLP-1 companion program, providing a sustainable pathway off the medications. The new product, Noom GLP-1Rx, offers consumers affordable, accessible, and sustainable weight loss.
“Today we are announcing an industry-first: With Noom GLP-1Rx – we are providing both the medications and a pathway off the medications,” said Chief Executive Officer of Noom, Geoff Cook. “We deliver the medications needed to kickstart a weight loss journey and pair it with the psychology-based program needed to sustain that weight loss, and even taper off the med. Noom GLP-1Rx delivers highly efficacious medications to the door within seven days starting at $149 and pairs those powerful medications with a powerful companion – Noom GLP-1 Companion with Muscle Defense™.”
“Noom GLP-1Rx addresses the biggest real-world problems with GLP-1s: poor persistence and lean muscle mass loss,” noted Cook. “Evidence demonstrates the vast majority of people, 6 out of 7, are not on these medications forever. They lose lean muscle mass and regain the weight, risking conditions like sarcopenic obesity, leaving them potentially worse off than before they started the medication. People need affordable access to these important medications, and then they need an offramp off of them. We designed Noom to be that offramp. Our goal is not to sell more medications; it’s to achieve sustainable, lasting weight loss for our members.”
An estimated 42 percent of the population is classified as having obesity. Obesity and related diseases, including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes, are leading causes of death in the U.S. Nearly half of American adults today are interested in taking weight loss drugs. Unfortunately, many of those looking for GLP-1 medications face difficulties getting them, due both to limited availability and also to extraordinary prices.
In the U.S., weight loss drugs are priced substantially higher than in other countries. The list price of one popular medication is $1,349 a month in the U.S. The same product can be purchased for just $137 in Germany and $92 in the United Kingdom. With such inflated prices, many employers and health plans choose not to cover medication for the disease of obesity. Adding to the challenge of affordability is the widespread drug shortages that often exist across the country which leave many people struggling to get their prescriptions filled.
“We view the shortage of GLP-1s to be much worse than the official data suggests,” said Cook, “because the prices of these medications in the U.S. are maintained at such artificially high levels compared to every other large-market country in the world, restricting demand for brand-name meds but increasing demand for compounded meds. We call on policymakers and regulators to take into account this increase in demand and maintain compounding exemptions until the price of the brand-name medications in New York and Los Angeles match their price in London and Sydney. The bottom line is these medications should be $200-$300 a month, not $1300. Policymakers and regulators should demand this or keep the shortage in place to meet the very real demand at these lower prices—the same prices at which these medications are available in the rest of the world. As a longer term solution to address this problem, we also call for bi-partisan legislation to cap drug prices or extend shortages until the brand-name price falls. More supply at a reasonable price is needed right now, not less.”
“As part of its program, Noom provides access to both compounded and brand-name GLP-1 medications,” continued Cook. “While we hope for a future of widely available, low-cost brand-name medications and generic GLP-1s, we believe the bridge to that future runs through partnering with FDA-regulated1 compounding pharmacies. That’s how we’ll bring high-quality medications and sustainable weight loss outcomes to every American. This gives our customers more options for getting the medications they need. For those who have great insurance and can find access to these hard-to-get brand-name medications, we offer a strong option; but we don’t build our solutions only for the fortunate few. Our mission is to empower everyone, everywhere to live better longer.”
With Noom GLP-1Rx, Noom members will be evaluated by board-certified physicians with expertise in obesity and weight loss to qualify for the weight loss medication with the same active ingredient, compounded semaglutide, as major brand-name medications, without facing access issues or inflated costs. These medications are provided in partnership with an FDA-regulated1 503B compounding pharmacy, ensuring the highest-quality, effective product. Medications will be delivered to a patient’s door in seven days from the time of order.
Safety is Paramount
“Safety is paramount to Noom,” noted Cook. “We are a trusted brand with a proven track record. We chose to partner with a 503B, FDA-regulated1 outsourcing facility for its impressive safety profile. The process is fully robotic and sterile. These facilities are required to maintain full compliance with current good manufacturing practices (cGMP), the same cGMP standards to which generic and brand-name medications are held.”
A recent article compared the safety reports from adverse events from brand-name medication vs. compounded semaglutide from 503B pharmacies, finding from August 8, 2021 to March 31, 2024, 20,000 adverse events reports for FDA-approved semaglutide. Comparatively, there were 210 adverse events reported on compounded semaglutide products.
“When done properly, compounding serves a vital public good,” said Cook. “This is certainly the case when it comes to compounded semaglutide, a critical medication addressing this nation’s obesity crisis. The bottom line is pairing high-quality compounded medications with powerful lifestyle change is in the public interest. We launched Noom GLP-1Rx to meet the needs of the market in the U.S. for affordable weight loss medications until such time as brand-name supply of diabetes and obesity medications is available at a reasonable price.”
With today’s announcement, Noom also launched a comprehensive website addressing the safety and access considerations behind our program.
Why a Powerful Medication Needs a Powerful Companion
“Medications alone are not enough,” said Dr. Adonis Saremi, Chief Medical Officer of Noom. “In fact, it says so right on the FDA label—the medication is to be used as an adjunct to a nutrition and exercise program. To be clear, the medication is the adjunct. The nutrition and exercise program are even more critical. We built Noom’s GLP-1 Companion, now with Muscle Defense, to be that program. While people on GLP-1s do lose a lot of weight, 15-40% of the weight lost is actually lean muscle mass. Noom’s program makes it easy to track protein intake and engage in accessible workouts and resistance training, so our members can keep the muscle and lose the fat. Our holistic approach ensures that users receive not only the medications they need but also the behavioral and lifestyle support essential for long-term success.”
A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on this link.
“What’s more, the medications are not effective if people stop using them and don’t change their habits,” continued Dr. Saremi. “This is the unfortunate reality in which we live. Most people—68% in a recent study—stop using the drug within 12 months, and by month 24 six out of seven are off the med. They then regain the weight, often as fat, ending up potentially worse off than before, some developing a condition called sarcopenic obesity, increasing mortality risk. We’ve found that the supportive Noom companion program improves persistence to the medication by up to 40%, based on a study of 553 people leveraging Noom alongside an early GLP-1.”
Noom Med’s Psychological Grounding
“Noom found success in bringing cognitive behavioral therapy concepts to a large audience, changing millions of people’s mindset and relationship toward food,” said Pouran Faghri, Professor at the UCLA School of Public Health and Scientific Advisor to Noom. “Noom’s addition of medication to the program is grounded in psychological principles. Millions of Americans struggle with weight loss, often trying numerous methods without success, which can lead to a decline in self-efficacy. This loss of confidence undermines their belief in their ability to manage their own motivation and behavior, creating a significant barrier to achieving lasting results.”
“Weight loss medication can be used as a ‘kickstart’ to help individuals achieve initial weight loss, which can provide a psychological boost and enhance motivation. However, to sustain this progress and avoid reliance on medication, tapering off the drug while introducing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can be highly effective. CBT helps individuals develop self-regulation skills, improve self-efficacy, and address underlying behaviors and thought patterns associated with overeating. This combined approach supports long-term weight management by fostering healthier habits and coping strategies. This is what sets Noom's approach to weight loss medication apart.”
The Noom Taper-Off Guarantee
Today Noom is also announcing its “Taper-Off Guarantee” to those who wish to taper off the medication. The program provides a year of free Noom or substantial medication discounts to anyone who regains the weight within 18 months following a 12-month course of Noom GLP-1Rx, including Noom’s taper protocol.
A number of studies have demonstrated sustained weight loss post-medication removal. In one study, more than half of patients maintained weight loss achieved while on semaglutide or liraglutide one year after discontinuing the medication. Another study, published in The Lancet, found that body weight and body composition were maintained one year after the termination of GLP-1 medications through the use of supervised exercise, in contrast to weight regain after the termination of treatment with obesity pharmacotherapy alone. While studies sponsored by leading pharmaceutical companies suggest a much higher likelihood of weight regain, those studies are not reflective of the average person with obesity. In particular, the studies only enlisted people who previously failed dieting and also recruited people at the 95th percentile for BMI.
“It’s a simple fact,” stated Cook. “People in the real world don’t take these medications forever. This means that for the vast majority of people the medications alone don’t work in the long run. Reality demonstrates most people already find pathways off the med, but the pathway for many is the worst one – weight regain. At Noom we are constructing the right pathway off the medication for those who wish to take it. Healthy habits have never mattered more.”
By integrating asynchronous telemedicine, expanded access to GLP-1 medications, and a comprehensive behavioral change companion app, Noom GLP-1Rx effectively tackles the multifaceted challenges of obesity care. The comprehensive solution combines high-quality compounded medications with a powerful program for healthy lifestyle change. The company has begun a nationwide rollout of Noom GLP-1Rx. Learn more from Noom’s GLP-1Rx Access and Transparency website.
About Noom:
Noom is a digital healthcare company empowering everyone, everywhere to live better longer, through an unwavering commitment to innovation and whole-person health. Noom connects people to content, coaching, community, and clinicians to promote positive behavior and healthy habits, in an effort to promote healthspan and better living. Noom also works with leading health plans and employers offering Noom Med Center Of Excellence, Noom GLP-1 Companion, Noom Healthy Weight, and Noom Diabetes Prevention to millions of covered lives. The company has been awarded multiple grants from the National Institutes of Health and was the first mobile application to be recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a certified diabetes prevention program. With offices in New York City and Princeton, NJ, Noom has been named one of Inc.'s Best Places to Work, Quartz's Best Workplaces for Remote Workers, and Fortune's Best Workplaces in Technology. For more information, please visit noom.com, subscribe to our blog, or follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Contact:
Brandyn Bissinger
comms@noom.com
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1 While Noom’s compounded drugs are produced in an FDA-regulated pharmacy, the drugs themselves are not FDA-approved and do not undergo FDA safety, efficacy, or quality review.
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e524a2f3-89ba-493d-a507-e9abb0b2e478
https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/438df07f-3bc5-4ac1-98d4-a8a67f0c736f
