Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42166309›Full record

ArticleJournal of managed care & specialty pharmacy2026

ICER report demonstrates both the value and challenges in financing of weight loss medications.

Sujith Ramachandran, Ben Urick, Tara Thomas

Abstract readEditorial
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of managed care & specialty pharmacy, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Sujith RamachandranUniversity of Mississippi School of Pharmacy, University.
Ben UrickPrime Therapeutics, Minneapolis, MN.
Tara ThomasCapital District Physicians' Health Plan, Latham, NY.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Two out of 5 US adults live with obesity, generating substantial clinical and economic burden. Recent glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), including semaglutide and tirzepatide, demonstrate significant weight loss and cardiometabolic benefits and were found by the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) to be cost-effective compared with lifestyle modifications alone. However, even limited uptake exceeds ICER's annual budget impact threshold, prompting access concerns. The latest real-world evidence demonstrates that persistence for these drugs is lower than in clinical trials, resulting in frequent weight regain after discontinuation, tempering expectations of long-term medical cost offsets. Evidence on medical spending impact is mixed, with cost-offset signals only observed among patients with obesity and diabetes receiving high-potency injectable agents, whereas obesity-only populations often show spending increases. Given current coverage restrictions, this commentary recommends combining drug coverage with lifestyle management programs, avoiding arbitrary duration limits, using targeted prior authorization, and exploring innovative payment models to improve access while managing budget impact.

Indexed as

Anti-Obesity AgentsGlucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor AgonistsManaged Care ProgramsObesityWeight Reduction ProgramsCost-Effectiveness AnalysisHumansInsurance CoverageAnti-Obesity AgentsGlucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists

Identifiers

PMID42166309
PMCPMC13193314

What OpenQuestion holds

Texttitle and abstract
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.