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Omada Health users who are prescribed Ozempic, Wegovy, or similar medications to manage their weight can soon take advantage of new specialized behavior and lifestyle tools, company executives announced Wednesday.
The virtual-first healthcare provider is launching a program that specifically supports the growing number of people being prescribed GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist) medications.
“Medication coverage in the absence of simultaneous behavior change is a lost opportunity for the responsible use of GLP-1s. Conversely, coupling the two together gives people the best chance to achieve long-term, sustained weight loss, and avoid a lifetime reliance on the medicines,” Omada co-founder and CEO Sean Duffy said in a statement.
But Omada is not getting into the prescribing game, unlike Weight Watchers and Noom—at least, for now.
“We have tried pilots where we’ve titrated medication and supported people with their diabetes and hypertension medicine. What we found out is that patients don’t want that from a virtual care provider,” Omada CMO Carolyn Jasik told Healthcare Brew. “They want the provider who’s working with them across all of their conditions to be making decisions about their medications.”
Jasik said Omada wants to offer what in-person clinicians can’t: day-to-day support.
To do that, the company plans to promote behavior changes among users of the blockbuster medications, as well as “create infrastructure capabilities to complement reimbursement policies,” per the statement.
Omada health coaches and specialists will be trained in helping users taking GLP-1s for weight management. Meanwhile, members will have free access to proprietary, clinically based educational materials regarding GLP-1 side effects and use, as well as a moderated GLP-1 peer support group.
Omada will further offer services to help employers and pharmacy benefit managers administer coverage policies.
Jasik said Omada has long encouraged its users with Type 2 diabetes, for whom the medications were designed, to talk to their doctors about GLP-1s. But with more patients without diabetes now taking an interest in medications like Ozempic—and research suggesting that people can gain weight after they stop using GLP-1s—behavior and lifestyle changes are key.
“If you don't deal with the core behavioral pieces, people are just left back in their same situation,” she said.