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☆ 3 titans will fight to dominate the market for Wegovy in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-27 | by ( Rebecca Torrence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Dozens of startups have jumped into the weight-loss market this year as weight-loss drugs, including Wegovy and Ozempic, have exploded in popularity. The few companies with enough money and brand recognition to stand up to Ozempic's distribution challenges — WeightWatchers, Noom, and Ro — can expect to compete for market dominance next year. But WeightWatchers signaled it's going all in on weight-loss drugs by launching its own behavioral program for patients on Ozempic in December. WeightWatchersLike WeightWatchers, Noom has remained staunchly in the weight-loss market since its 2008 launch. Ro launched its own program prescribing weight-loss drugs in January.

Persons: VCs, — WeightWatchers, Sari Kaganoff, WeightWatchers, it's, Sima Sistani, Noom, Ro, Zach Reitano, Kaganoff, Saeju Jeong, Sam Barnes, Aaron DeGagne Organizations: Business, Rock Health, Web, Getty, PitchBook Locations: Ozempic

☆ Healthcare companies are promising to help patients quit Wegovy. There's just one problem with that.
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-19 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Inkinen said Virta can help patients quit GLP-1 drugs and keep weight off by adjusting the foods they eat to help them feel full, similar to how the drugs reduce feelings of hunger. About 82% of patients taking Wegovy experience gastrointestinal issues like nausea and diarrhea. WeightWatchers didn't provide Business Insider with published data to support its claims that it can help people keep weight off after quitting weight-loss drugs. AdvertisementHe also advises the weight-loss startup Calibrate, which tapers some patients off GLP-1 drugs after they reach a certain body-mass index. GLP-1 drugs also slash the risk of heart attacks, strokes, and cardiac-related death.

Persons: —, Michael Albert, aren't, Sami Inkinen, Inkinen, Virta, Michael Siluk, Noom's, Linda Anegawa, Carolina Rudah, tirzepatide, Mounjaro, Zepbound —, Eli Lilly, Ozempic, Wegovy, Randy Seeley, Seeley, Robyn Phelps, it's, Robert Kushner, Kushner, Florian Gaertner, It's, Albert, Lisa, she's, I'm Organizations: Service, Business, FDA, Virta, Getty, Nordisk, Michigan Nutrition Obesity Research, University of Michigan, Novo Nordisk, Northwestern University Locations: Denver, Michigan

☆ Sima Sistani says its time for WeightWatchers to embrace Ozempic. Will its users agree?
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-28 | by ( Nicole Goodkind | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Sima Sistani, the 44-year-old CEO of WeightWatchers, is aware of this, and she recognized WeightWatchers had to evolve – or else. She also landed a massive deal to buy a telehealth business that can issue virtual prescriptions to patients for these weight loss drugs. Semaglutide was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat type 2 diabetes as Ozempic, but it was also used off-label for weight loss. Some longtime users of the program feel betrayed by the pivot away from in-person meetings and toward medication-based solutions. “Sadly, they don’t want to do the work,” she said, of tracking food or exercising to achieve weight loss goals.

Persons: New York CNN —, Sima Sistani, WeightWatchers, she’s, Sistani, “, ” Sistani, Erica Shroeder, ”, Jaap Arriens, ” Goldman Sachs, Jenny Craig, Adam Rockmore, Ged, Angela Weiss, Variety Sistani, there’s, Semaglutide, aren’t, “ there’s, Oprah Winfrey, Jamie Yonash, influencers, Velanti, Michael Nagle, We’re Organizations: New, New York CNN, Walmart, CNN, WeightWatchers, Variety, US Food and Drug Administration, Bloomberg, Getty Locations: New York, Cola, Wegovy

☆ Novo Nordish and Eli Lilly cash in on blockbuster weight-loss drugs
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Manav Tanneeru | Samantha Delouya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —As prescriptions for weight-loss and diabetes drugs skyrocket, so too has revenue for drugmakers Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. On Thursday, Novo Nordisk, the Denmark-based company behind Ozempic and Wegovy, reported a 29% increase in sales to $8.4 billion for the third quarter. The pharmaceutical companies are two of the biggest beneficiaries of the recent weight-loss drug frenzy, with Novo Nordisk catapulting to Europe’s most valuable company in September. Novo Nordisk reported that its obesity care sales grew 174% in the first nine months of 2023, mainly driven by US demand. The success of Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly’s drugs has inspired other companies to dive into the prescription weight-loss business, including WeightWatchers, now known as WW International.

Persons: Eli Lilly, Mounjaro, Wegovy, Novo, –, Eli Lilly’s Organizations: New, New York CNN, drugmakers Novo Nordisk, Novo Nordisk, Novo Nordisk catapulting, International Locations: New York, Denmark, United States, Novo

☆ The Company That Defined Dieting Is Sorry It Told Us to Have More Willpower
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-07 | by ( Erich Schwartzel | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WeightWatchers Chief Executive Sima Sistani hears from them all of the time, those customers she thinks her company has failed. They fill her Instagram inbox with messages detailing their years on the WeightWatchers count-your-points program, a frustrating pattern of fluctuating weight that only made them feel like they weren’t trying hard enough.

Persons: Sima Sistani

☆ WeightWatchers could either win big or lose faithful customers, or both, in its pivot to Ozempic trend
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-22 | by ( Jordan Hart | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Sequence offers access to weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Analysts say the move could save the company, but some WeightWatchers members aren't happy. Although the medication has gained popularity online and among celebrities, veteran WeightWatchers members aren't all happy with the company's pivot. Some WeightWatchers members expressed concern that the company was abandoning its message of self-restraint for the easy solution of weight-loss medication. Sequence, meanwhile, prescribes weight-loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy and helps patients afford the drugs through insurance and reimbursements.

Persons: WeightWatchers, aren't, They're, Goldman Sachs, Sima Sistani, Jenny Craig Organizations: WW, Inc, Bloomberg, Employers

☆ The 3 main ways digital-health startups are competing for a slice of the $13 billion market for obesity care
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Yeji Jesse Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy have surged in popularity. A Rock Health report lays out three main ways startups are competing for a slice of the market. As weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy surge in popularity, digital-health startups are jumping in — offering everything from prescriptions to weight-management tools to compete for a slice of the $13 billion market. That's according to a new report by Rock Health, which lays out three main ways digital-health companies are vying to get in on obesity care. Rock Health said these platforms could be used in conjunction with weight-loss drugs to help track progress.

☆ The Discreet Thrill of Lurking Online
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( Elise Craig | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Four years into the practice, I discovered I was lurking: Aside from sharing snapshots with friends on a private Instagram page, I was consuming strangers’ social media content without ever posting or commenting myself. I’ll hit a heart icon and contribute to a like count, but I find the public nature of social media participation to be too performative for me. In the online world, where anyone can put themselves onstage, I’m happy to sit in the audience and clap. Alongside tools used to track diet and exercise was something that I didn’t expect: a sort of in-app Instagram, open only to members. By that point, the shine of social media had worn off for me.

☆ Jenny Craig is going out of business
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( Jordan Valinsky | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

New York CNN —Jenny Craig, the weight-loss chain, has confirmed that it’s shutting down for good. Named after its founder, the Jenny Craig business started when she couldn’t lose weight after giving birth to her second child. WeightWatchers, for example, is getting into the prescription weight-loss drug business. The $106 million acquisition of Sequence will give WW a foothold into the growing market for prescription drugs to manage weight loss. Ozempic has gained popularity in part due to celebrities using it for weight loss.

☆ Jenny Craig is reportedly winding down its weight-loss centers and warning of mass layoffs
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Jenny Craig is reportedly shutting down some of its weight-loss centers and warning employees of mass layoffs amid upheaval in the industry from popular new prescription drugs like Ozempic. Jenny Craig alerted employees to potential layoffs as it begins “winding down physical operations” and hunts for a buyer, according to NBC News. Jenny Craig has nearly 500 weight-loss centers in the United States and Canada. We will have more details to share in the coming weeks as our plans are solidified,” a spokesperson for Jenny Craig said in a statement to CNN. Ozempic has gained popularity in part due to celebrities using it for weight loss.

☆ WeightWatchers Gets a Makeover With Obesity-Drug Business
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-16 | by ( David Wainer | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Powerful new drugs such as Ozempic are starting to change the weight-loss narrative. If you can’t beat them, join them. WeightWatchers ’ acquisition of the drug-prescribing business Sequence, which closed last Monday, is a clear sign that the center of gravity in the weight-loss industry is shifting. Whereas conventional wisdom for decades was that obesity could only be addressed through lifestyle changes, powerful new drugs are starting to change that narrative, forcing the old guard to adapt or die.

Mohawk Industries — Shares of the flooring manufacturer gained 5% after Loop Capital upgraded the company to buy from its previous hold rating. WisdomTree — Shares of the financial firm gained 3% after the company said it had $1.9 billion of net flows in March. New York Community Bancorp — Shares of the regional bank gained 2.7% after Jefferies upgraded the stock to buy from hold. LendingClub — The lending stock gained 5% after JPMorgan initiated coverage of the stock at overweight. Murphy Oil — The natural gas company's shares gained 2.6% after Truist upgraded shares to buy from hold.

☆ Goldman Sachs says WeightWatchers' latest deal could revive the company and help it bring in $1.4 billion by 2025
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Yeji Jesse Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Goldman Sachs analysts said the deal could mean more than half a million new subscribers by 2025. According to Goldman Sachs analysts, the company's foray into weight-loss drugs through its acquisition of Sequence could mean a turnaround for the company. Goldman Sachs estimates that sales for obesity drugs like GLP-1s could reach $30 billion annually by 2032. Through Sequence alone, Goldman analysts said that WeightWatchers could add an extra half million subscribers, generating $455 million in new revenue by 2025. Goldman noted that WeightWatchers currently has 4 million subscribers and 20 million former subscribers in its roster.

☆ WeightWatchers' parent rockets higher by 25% after Goldman says the stock will more than triple
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-11 | by ( Yun Li | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

WW International , the parent WeightWatchers, could see its stock price more than triple as the diet company's new foray into obesity medications could result in a major turnaround, Goldman Sachs said. The Wall Street firm upgraded the stock to buy from neutral Monday evening and raised its 12-month price target to $13. The stock skyrocketed 28% in premarket trading Tuesday after closing Monday's trading at $4.12 apiece. Goldman turned bullish after WW acquired Sequence , a telehealth platform that provides its subscribers with access to GLP-1 medications such as Wegovy and Ozempic. "We believe a catalyst for a turnaround has emerged with its new obesity drug on-ramp solution," Goldman said.

Annick Lenoir-Peek, a lawyer from Durham, N.C., has struggled with her weight since adolescence. She has tried Atkins and keto and spent thousands of dollars over decades on weight-loss efforts and programs such as Noom, Nutrisystem and WeightWatchers. Since starting Ozempic in late November, she’s lost around 30 pounds. Her cholesterol and glucose levels have improved, and she can eat far fewer calories without feeling hungry, she said. Currently on a trip through Eastern Europe, she said she is doing more tours than she would have at a higher weight.

☆ How buzzy weight-loss drugs like Ozempic became the next craze in the hottest part of healthcare
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Rebecca Torrence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Healthcare companies are launching programs left and right to prescribe trendy weight-loss drugs. And Ro, a startup that prescribes and sells products like Viagra and hair-loss pills to consumers, is going all in with a program it launched in January to prescribe the weight-loss drugs to patients online. CalibrateFirst developed to manage type 2 diabetes, GLP-1 medications regulate blood-sugar levels, which can help people curb cravings and feel fuller after eating. The weight-loss market for GLP-1 drugs is relatively new, and not everyone is on board. But for some companies, stepping into prescribing these new weight-loss medications seems to simply be the natural next step for growth.

☆ Why buzzy weight-loss drugs are the next craze for healthcare startups
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Rebecca Torrence | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Healthcare companies are launching programs left and right to prescribe trendy weight-loss drugs. And Ro, a startup that prescribes and sells products like Viagra and hair-loss pills to consumers, is going all in with a program it launched in January to prescribe the weight-loss drugs to patients online. Even startups like Noom, which quietly started a program prescribing GLP-1 medications, could stand to benefit from the drugs' popularity after a tumultuous year for the startup. The weight-loss market for GLP-1 drugs is relatively new, and not everyone is on board. But for some companies, stepping into prescribing these new weight-loss medications seems to simply be the natural next step for growth.

☆ WeightWatchers Moves Into the Ozempic Market With Telehealth Deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Andrea Petersen | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

WW, known for food-tracking and lifestyle changes, is moving to also offer customers a medical weight-loss approach. WW International Inc., known as WeightWatchers, is buying digital health company Sequence, marking the diet company’s move into the hot market for diabetes and obesity drugs including Ozempic and Wegovy. Sequence is a subscription service that offers telehealth visits with doctors who can prescribe the drugs. WeightWatchers, which has long promised to help customers lose weight through food-tracking and lifestyle changes, is moving to also offer customers a medical weight-loss approach.

☆ WeightWatchers jumps into into the prescription weight loss drug business with Ozempic
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —WeightWatchers is getting into the booming prescription weight loss drug business. The GLP-1 agonists Sequence helps prescribe include Wegovy, Ozempic, and Rybelsus. The FDA approved Ozempic for the management of diabetes in 2017 and Wegovy for weight loss in 2021. Ozempic has gained popularity in part due to celebrities using it for weight loss. But there are many concerns with using diabetes drugs for weight loss, including high costs and shortages that are making it harder for people with diabetes to obtain the drugs.

☆ Noom quietly started writing prescriptions for trendy new weight-loss drugs
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The popular weight-loss app Noom quietly launched a new program that offers some users access to prescription anti-obesity medications. Called Noom Clinical, the program is meant to "build additional support" for app users, a company spokesperson said in a statement to Insider. Startups like Noom want to capitalize on a surge in demand for new weight-loss drugsSaeju Jeong, Co-founder & CEO, Noom Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile for Web Summit via Getty Images)Noom's foray into prescribing medication comes as demand for weight-loss drugs surges. NoomNoom, which introduced its weight loss app in 2017, is backed by venture firm Oak HC/FT and private-equity giant Silver Lake. According to the spokesperson, Noom began rolling out the new prescription-drug program to a small number of users in the fall.

☆ WeightWatchers is buying a company that lets you pay $99 a month to see a doctor on video and get a prescription to popular weight-loss drug Ozempic
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Lakshmi Varanasi | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

WeightWatchers announced Monday it was buying Sequence, a clinical weight management platform. Members will get Sequence's services including telehealth visits and prescriptions for weight loss drugs like Ozempic. Through Sequence's $99-a-month subscription program, customers can schedule telehealth appointments with doctors who will prescribe weight loss and diabetes management drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. "As science advances rapidly, we know there is a significant opportunity to improve outcomes for those using medications," WeightWatchers' CEO Sima Sistani said in a press release. Doctors are even adding the hashtags to videos that are about weight loss solutions that don't rely on those medications.

☆ New weight loss drugs will help tackle America's obesity epidemic, says Dr. Scott Gottlieb
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailNew weight loss drugs will help tackle America's obesity epidemic, says Dr. Scott GottliebDr. Scott Gottlieb, former FDA commissioner, and CNBC's Meg Tirrell join 'Power Lunch' to discuss WeightWatchers upcoming telehealth deal, new weight loss drugs coming to market and regulatory considerations associated with long-term medicine use.

☆ WeightWatchers stock surges 70% after company agrees to buy obesity treatment platform
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Shares of WW International , also known as WeightWatchers, skyrocketed Tuesday after the company said it planned to buy Sequence, a telehealth platform that provides treatment for obesity. Shares of the company were down 57% over the past year as it struggled to pivot to wellness and move away from weight loss. Sistani took over as chief executive at the end of February, steering the company back toward weight loss messaging. The Sequence announcement comes as companies across the weight loss industry look to offer obesity medications as a pathway to customers looking to shed pounds. The trend has led to a shortage in medications like Ozempic, which are commonly prescribed for Type 2 diabetes.

☆ Stocks making the biggest moves after hours: WW International, KeyCorp and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

WW International — Shares jumped more than 6% after WW International, also known as WeightWatchers, said it's acquiring Sequence, a subscription telehealth platform with a focus on chronic weight management, for a net purchase price of $106 million. The deal marks WeightWatchers' foray into a world of clientele who are taking chronic weight management medications, such as glucagon-like peptide 1s. Separately, WW International announced its fourth-quarter and full-year results. Earlier, a CNBC reported that Norfolk Southern is planning to make broad safety adjustments after its third train derailment. KeyCorp — Shares fell about 2% after KeyCorp issued full-year net interest income guidance that was lower than prior guidance, according to an 8-K filing on Monday.

☆ Stock futures are flat as Wall Street awaits Fed Chair Powell's comments: Live updates
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

U.S. stock futures were little changed on Monday night as traders await Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's latest comments on the state of the economy. Dow Jones Industrial Average futures rose by 11 points, or 0.03%. S&P 500 futures gained 0.06%, while Nasdaq 100 futures dipped 0.06%. Economists polled by Dow Jones expect a decline of 0.4%, compared to a rise of 0.1% in the prior reading. Consumer credit data expected Tuesday afternoon is forecasted to show a rise of $22 billion in January, according to consensus estimates from Dow Jones.

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