Studies have shown people can lose up to 15% of their body weight over a year or so
The reason isn't patent protection
The typical requirements for coverage are: FDA-approved medical condition: Ozempic is usually only covered as a treatment for certain conditions, such as: To improve blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes To reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack in those with type 2 diabetes and established heart disease To reduce the risk of kidney function decline in those with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease
FEBS Lett 592:37593768 Xu XM, Carlson BA, Mix H, Zhang Y, Saira K, Glass RS, Berry MJ, Gladyshev VN, Hatfield DL (2007) Biosynthesis of selenocysteine on its tRNA in eukaryotes
Its a high-end product, and because theres a lot of demand but not enough supply, it usually costs more