Weight-loss drugs could become a test case for AI
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Two of the buzziest technology trends in health care — artificial intelligence and weight-loss drugs — appear to be converging as companies increasingly scope out the potential to capitalize on both.
Why it matters: Some companies tell Axios the explosive demand, outsized costs and wide range of potential of uses for GLP-1s — the category of drugs that includes diabetes drug Ozempic and its weight-loss counterpart Wegovy — make them the perfect test case for AI's potential.
"With any hot space, there's always a lot of noise. It's unavoidable," said Alexander Singh, founder of Alfie Health, an AI obesity care startup that was recently acquired by obesity care platform Knownwell.
- He's among those who argue there's some true value coming that's worth paying attention to.
The latest: A number of companies have announced pairings of AI with GLP-1s aimed at personalizing care for users, or even helping them track down pharmacies that have drugs in stock.
- Google's Verily recently announced plans for the chronic care app Lightpath to use AI, combined with data from devices like continuous glucose monitors, to help manage metabolic disease.
- Dandelion Health announced the creation of a data library to advance insights into GLP-1 drugs.
- Allurion Technologies announced the expansion of its AI-powered weight-loss coach, Coach Iris.
The big picture: With demand from patients and a dearth of providers who are well-versed in treating obesity, AI's ability to parse data and identify which patients will most benefit may be particularly helpful.
- A lot of providers may say, "'Well, I know about GLP-1s. I don't necessarily know how to prescribe, how to do the right follow-up with my patients, how to provide the right care around it,'" Singh said. "That's really where the clinical decision support can help."
Between the lines: Even as Novo Nordisk's Wegovy is already approved for heart conditions and Eli Lilly's Zepbound is eyed for sleep apnea, researchers are clamoring to find other uses.
- For instance, evidence is building they could treat addiction, slow the development of Parkinson's or even be a treatment for Alzheimer's disease.
- "Why do I think that might be really interesting for AI? Because, what does AI do? AI goes where the evidence is, not where we think the evidence should be," said Elliott Green, CEO of Dandelion Health.
Zoom in: Weight-loss app Noom recently announced a voice-to-text and picture-based calorie tracker and expects ongoing AI updates will allow the company to roll out periodic check-ins with human coaches later this summer.
- That human offering wouldn't be possible without the help of AI, Noom CEO Geoff Cook told Axios.
- "It's basically not possible to do that just by just scaling up because there's just so many more people coming to the program," Cook said.
Our thought bubble: Plenty of companies pitching AI and GLP-1 combos in this reporter's inbox likely aren't bringing much extra value to the table. It will take time to weed out the wheat from a whole lot of chaff.
- But there may be something worth paying attention to in some of these combos.
