Health insurance companies frequently deny coverage for new medications essential for treating children and teenagers with obesity and type 2 diabetes, leaving many unable to afford these necessary treatments, according to research presented at ENDO 2024, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in Boston, Massachusetts.
The study highlights that GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP1Ra), although approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, are often not covered by insurance, particularly for children without type 2 diabetes.
The research, focusing on medications such as liraglutide (Victoza, Saxenda), evaluated real-world prescription outcomes for these drugs at a major children’s hospital. It involved 599 children, averaging 15 years of age, who were prescribed GLP1Ra medications. Among them, three-quarters had type 2 diabetes, and 58% were on public insurance.
The study revealed that in children with type 2 diabetes, private insurers denied 54% of the prescriptions, while Medicaid denied 27%. For children without type 2 diabetes, private insurance denied 55% of prescriptions, and Medicaid denied 69%.
Patients prescribed liraglutide typically begin with a lower dose, gradually increasing it to the full prescribed amount in a process known as titration. However, the study found that 33% of children with type 2 diabetes took longer than recommended to reach the prescribed dose, and 17% never achieved the full treatment dose. For children with obesity, less than half reached their prescribed dose.
“This has significant clinical implications since the expected improvements in weight or glucose control with GLP1Ra are likely dose-dependent,” said Dr. Castano, the lead researcher. “If patients cannot reach the prescribed dose, they likely won’t experience the full benefits of the medication.”
While most patients experienced no or mild side effects, two cases of severe pancreatitis were reported in patients taking liraglutide, a side effect not previously documented, according to Dr. Castano.
“Our research demonstrates that GLP1Ra medications are challenging to obtain for the patients who need them. Furthermore, patients may struggle to follow the recommended titration regimen, and additional side effects may occur beyond what has been previously reported,” he concluded.
[inline_related_posts title=”You Might Be Interested In” title_align=”left” style=”list” number=”6″ align=”none” ids=”2141,2109,2107″ by=”categories” orderby=”rand” order=”DESC” hide_thumb=”no” thumb_right=”no” views=”no” date=”yes” grid_columns=”2″ post_type=”” tax=””]
