Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus partners with telehealth firm to offer employers obesity care drugs

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(Reuters) -Telehealth firm 9amHealth has partnered with billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drug Company to offer U.S. employers cheaper obesity treatment options, the companies said on Tuesday.

Cost Plus Drugs supplies generic drugs by contracting directly with manufacturers and applying a standard markup on each drug it sells. WHY IT’S IMPORTANT Employees will now have access to affordable medications through Cost Plus Drugs, supported by 9amHealth’s team of doctors, all without long waits or costly appointments. The two companies will offer an option for employers looking to enhance coverage for weight management as well as chronic conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol and hypertension.

CONTEXT Cuban’s startup offers a generic version of Novo Nordisk’s older GLP-1 diabetes drug, Victoza, in injectable form, according to its website.

Additionally, 9amHealth’s obesity program includes branded GLP-1 medications available through direct manufacturer partnerships.

The telehealth company told Reuters that it prescribes generic drugs, including topiramate, metformin, bupropion and naltrexone, through its partnership with Cost Plus Drugs. “In addition, our providers prescribe all FDA-approved drugs to treat cardiometabolic conditions such as diabetes or obesity,” the company added.

Newer weight-loss drugs such as Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Zepbound, known to reduce weight by as much as 20%, can cost up to $1,000 per month without insurance coverage.

Cost Plus Drugs has also established similar tie-ups with pharmacy benefit managers RxPreffered and AffirmedRx to provide lower-priced drugs via some employer-backed health insurance plans.

(Reporting by Puyaan Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Mohammed Safi Shamsi)