Lilly and Novo Nordisk are hoping to win over employers on the idea that obesity and its complications are already a huge cost in terms of healthcare, workers' compensation and disability. By offering employees coverage for the weight-loss drugs Zepbound and Wegovy, companies can save money in the long run, the messaging goes. Whether these efforts succeed will help shape the size of the anti-obesity drug market, which some analysts predict could top $100 billion in annual sales. It is an unconventional approach for pharmaceutical companies. They have long used tried-and-true methods to boost sales, including running TV ads aimed at consumers, and sending tenacious representatives to persuade doctors to prescribe drugs to patients and health insurers to pay for them.
