White House Nears GLP-1 Deal That Bypasses Middlemen, Novo Nordisk Masters SEO Loopholes, and UnitedHealthcare's Self-Dealing Gets Academic Confirmation

Hey all,

Happy Hump Day! For every regulation healthcare creates, there's an equally creative workaround already in development. Pharma companies spend millions on keyword advertising to circumvent FDA marketing rules while vertically integrated insurers pay their own practices 17-61% more to sidestep medical loss ratio requirements. It's impressive how quickly the industry can identify which regulations have teeth and which ones can be routed around with minor adjustments to the org chart.

Enjoy the rundown!

Jacob Brody (Co-Founder & CEO, ZorroRX)

(Endpoints News) Lilly, Novo Near White House Deal on Obesity Drug Prices

Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk are nearing a landmark agreement with the Trump administration to offer the lowest dose of their blockbuster obesity drugs at $149 per month in exchange for Medicare coverage, according to sources. If finalized, the deal could dramatically expand access to weight loss medications for millions of Americans, especially seniors, while also signaling a major policy shift in federal drug reimbursement practices. But the real hurdle won’t be consumers—it’ll be pharmacy benefit managers and other middlemen scrambling to protect their rebates and bloated margins from anything that smells like transparent pricing. Full Article

(STAT News) Novo Nordisk’s Keyword Marketing Tactics

A new analysis published in JAMA reveals that Novo Nordisk spent approximately $7.5 million over two years on over 15,000 search keywords—many related to weight loss—to drive traffic to Ozempic’s website, despite the drug not being approved for obesity treatment. This strategy highlights how pharmaceutical companies may leverage paid keyword advertising to influence consumer behavior and potentially sidestep traditional FDA advertising regulations in the digital space. Because of course—a regulated company finding a loophole is as surprising as rain in Seattle. Full Article

(Health Affairs) UnitedHealthcare’s Preferential Payments to Optum Practices

A new study in Health Affairs reveals that UnitedHealthcare pays its own Optum physician groups 17% more on average for common services than it pays to non-Optum practices in the same areas—and up to 61% more in regions where UnitedHealthcare holds significant market share. This payment disparity raises concerns that UnitedHealth is leveraging vertical integration to bypass medical loss ratio rules by shifting profits to its provider arm, a tactic critics say distorts the intent of healthcare cost regulations and potentially harms competition. And in a truly shocking turn of events, a multi-billion-dollar insurer might be exploiting a regulatory loophole to make more money—who would’ve thought? Full Article.