GLP-1 drugs have shown short-term benefits for people with diabetes, but the long-term impact of the drugs is unclear, Elevance Health CEO Gail Boudreaux said in a June 21 Wall Street Journal report.
"Over the history of someone taking this for multiple years, we don't know that," Ms. Boudreaux said at the WSJ Global Food Forum on June 21. "There [aren't] any long-term clinical studies that have shown what this does."
Elevance Health does not cover GLP-1 drugs only for weight loss in most cases but does cover GLP-1 drugs used to treat diabetes, Elevance Health CFO John Gallina said on an April 19 call with investors.
GLP-1 drugs, including Ozempic, Trulicity, Victoza and Mounjaro, are used to treat Type 2 diabetes. Wegovy and Saxenda are approved for weight loss. The drugs can be expensive, costing upward of $10,000 each year before insurance.
Ms. Boudreaux said Elevance Health is working with clinicians to evaluate the role diet plays in inflammation and other conditions.
"We know that for adults, around 45 percent of those who die from heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, stroke, that poor nutrition is a major contributing factor. Healthy food is a real opportunity," Ms. Boudreaux said.
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