The new drug is part of the second generation of weight-loss pills under development by companies including Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk that will offer patients a more convenient alternative to injections.
The suits are set to target the three biggest PBMs, UnitedHealth Group's Optum Rx, CVS Health's Caremark and Cigna's Express Scripts, which are all owned by or connected to health insurers.
Ozempic's popularity, fueled by Hollywood, social media influencers and ubiquitous ads on social media, means there are people taking these drugs who want to lose a few pounds for cosmetic reasons.
After three months of weekly injections, patients on Ozempic lost 3.6% of their body weight, on average, while those on Mounjaro lost an average of 5.9%.
Patients with Type 2 diabetes who were prescribed drugs known as glucagon-like peptide-1, or GLP-1, developed fewer obesity-related cancers than patients who were treated with insulin.