Noom, a digital health company for chronic disease prevention, will begin offering oral medications for weight loss through its Noom Med program, it announced Thursday.
New York City-based Noom helps people build healthy habits through psychological tools like food tracking, coaching and community. Through Noom Med, patients get access to one-on-one messaging with weight loss clinicians, medication prescriptions, a community of patients, medication management and educational content. They can also get prescriptions for GLP-1s when appropriate.
With the inclusion of oral medications for weight loss, Noom Med can support those who have a needle aversion or have a lower body mass index than indicated for GLP-1s. The first oral weight loss medication offered through Noom is Metformin, which is often used for type 2 diabetes but can be prescribed off-label when appropriate for weight loss. It helps reduce appetite and increases insulin sensitivity.
Noom is providing Metformin to consumers as a 500mg daily tablet for $29 for the first month, and then $89/month for a three-month recurring subscription. Comparatively, the Noom GLP-1 prescription plan gives users access to compounded semaglutide starting at $149/month, regardless of insurance coverage. Through Noom Med, users can get brand-name GLP-1s like Ozempic starting at $69/month plus the out-of-pocket costs for the medication, which depends on insurance coverage.
“With the addition of oral medications, we provide a meaningful weight loss treatment option at a lower price. Metformin is widely available as a generic medication, making it an affordable option for people who need it. … GLP-1 injections may not be the right solution for everyone seeking to achieve better health and longevity through weight loss. Adding oral medication opens up another avenue for our customers to experience powerful meds with the powerful companion of Noom’s behavior change program,” said Geoff Cook, CEO at Noom, in an email.
To access oral medications, Noom members fill out an intake survey and then connect with a clinician who reviews their results and prescribes Metformin if appropriate. The medication is then shipped directly to the member within seven days. They also have access to Noom Med’s other features, including asynchronous telehealth, care coordinators and one-on-one coaching.
Cook said that Noom’s goal in offering oral medications is to “open up affordable access to empower people to live better longer.” He added that it’s important to have serious dialogue on strategies to lower prescription drug costs in the U.S., noting that U.S. drug prices are 2.5 times higher on average than other high-income countries.
“I propose Congress empower the FDA to maintain a public High-Cost Drug Database of medications that are priced in the U.S. at levels 200% or more above the global average,” he said. “If a drug is listed in this database, FDA-regulated 503B outsourcing facilities would be empowered to manufacture compounded versions of these high-cost drugs, providing a market-driven solution to the current problem.”
Other companies offering access to weight loss medications include WeightWatchers and LifeMD.
Photo: Jason Dean, Getty Images
