Omada Health to start out prescribing GLP-1s, other obesity medications

Virtual care company Omada Health on Thursday said it’s going to start prescribing GLP-1s and other obesity drugs and helping patients manage those medications.

Omada plans to expand the offerings under its weight management program as its membership grows to greater than 800,000.

The announcement comes as digital health firms increase their presence within the blockbuster marketplace for GLP-1s to treat obesity, diabetes and other chronic conditions – an area that may very well be price roughly $100 billion by the top of the last decade, in response to some analysts. Several digital health firms similarly offer prescriptions for GLP-1s, and the manufacturers of those drugs, Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, are taking steps to make their treatments more accessible while also developing recent ones for patients.

“The announcement is in response to our belief that access to GLP-1s will grow pretty significantly over time,” Omada co-founder and CEO Sean Duffy said in an interview. He said Omada recognizes that the market will expand beyond GLP-1 injections to pills and other “next-generation” treatments that work in alternative ways, underscoring the necessity to help patients manage their medications. 

Programs from firms like Omada aim to support lifestyle and behavioral changes for patients on those drugs, offering nutrition guidance, education and a team of health coaches and exercise specialists, amongst other resources, that may help people stay on the drugs longer. But Omada is now tapping licensed providers trained in obesity care to prescribe medications and help patients manage the drugs. 

The brand new offering will allow the corporate to support patients as they receive a prescription and thru the time they spend on a GLP-1. That form of support is crucial, as GLP-1 injections may be complicated for patients to make use of properly and infrequently include gastrointestinal unwanted effects that force some people to stop treatment.

“If you must go up in dose, down in those, switch medications – you name it. We’ll give you the chance to support you thru this experience,” Duffy said.

Omada, which partners with national and regional health plans and employers, also said the brand new offering is an add-on for purchasers to higher support their employees’ health needs while controlling costs and improving results from obesity treatments. 

Also on Thursday, Omada Health reported quarterly earnings for the second time since its initial public offering in June.

The corporate, founded in 2011, offers virtual care programs to support patients with chronic conditions comparable to prediabetes, diabetes and hypertension. Omada describes its approach as a “between-visit care model” that’s complementary to the broader health-care ecosystem.