WeightWatchers Enters Obesity Drug Market With Purchase Of Sequence

weight watchers announced plans to buy telemedicine platform Weekend Health, also known as Sequence, to offer prescription weight loss drugs.

The company said the cash and stock deal is valued at $132 million, but the effective net purchase price is $106 million. The deal is due to close in the second quarter of this year.

Along with telemedicine consultations, insurance coordination, nutrition and fitness plans, Sequence offers peptide-1 glucagon-like drugs, including semaglutide, which use the brand names Wegovy, Ozempic, and Rybelsus. The company was launched in 2021 and had about 24,000 members in February.

“The WeightWatchers Nutrition and Behavior Change Program can provide the support needed to help people develop healthy long-term healthy habits and cope with diet-induced side effects that often occur with chronic weight management medications such as glucagon-like peptide- 1. (GLP-1s),” Dr. Gary Foster, chief scientist at WeightWatchers, said in a statement.

“As we build our clinical weight management journey, we will learn from and likely tailor our nutrition program for this special member journey. We know weight management is not universal and clinical interventions are not medically or otherwise appropriate. for everyone, so we remain committed to all paths.”

BIG TREND

Interest and demand for semaglutide has increased over the past few months, with many pharmacists reporting shortages Ozempic and Vegowy.

Although Ozempic is only approved for diabetes, there are increasing reports of off-label use for weight loss. Wegovy was first approved as a weight loss drug in 2021. Earlier this year, the American Academy of Pediatrics released new guidelines on children and obesity, advocating early intervention that includes surgery and medication. Wegovy was recently approved for children aged 12 and over.

Although the drug is effective but also expensive. It must also be taken constantly, otherwise the effect will disappear.

Another digital weight loss company, Noom has also started offering weight loss drugs. According to a message from insiderhe deployed Noom Clinical to give some users access to GLP-1 drugs.

Consumer Focused Virtual Assistance Company Ro and another online weight loss company, Calibrate, also offer semaglutides.