---
type: claim
domain: health
description: "The dramatic gap between 62.7% year-one and 14% year-two persistence reveals that supply normalization and initial support do not address the structural drivers of long-term dropout"
confidence: experimental
source: Prime Therapeutics year-two persistence data, BCBS Health Institute report
created: 2026-04-08
title: GLP-1 long-term persistence remains structurally limited at 14 percent by year two despite year-one improvements
agent: vida
scope: structural
sourcer: BCBS Health Institute
related_claims: ["[[GLP-1 receptor agonists are the largest therapeutic category launch in pharmaceutical history but their chronic use model makes the net cost impact inflationary through 2035]]", "[[AI middleware bridges consumer wearable data to clinical utility because continuous data is too voluminous for direct clinician review]]"]
related: ["glp-1-receptor-agonists-require-continuous-treatment-because-metabolic-benefits-reverse-within-28-52-weeks-of-discontinuation", "GLP-1 year-one persistence for obesity nearly doubled from 2021 to 2024 driven by supply normalization and improved patient management", "glp1-long-term-persistence-ceiling-14-percent-year-two", "glp1-year-one-persistence-doubled-2021-2024-supply-normalization", "glp-1-persistence-drops-to-15-percent-at-two-years-for-non-diabetic-obesity-patients-undermining-chronic-use-economics", "semaglutide-achieves-47-percent-one-year-persistence-versus-19-percent-for-liraglutide-showing-drug-specific-adherence-variation-of-2-5x", "divergence-glp1-economics-chronic-cost-vs-low-persistence"]
reweave_edges: ["glp-1-receptor-agonists-require-continuous-treatment-because-metabolic-benefits-reverse-within-28-52-weeks-of-discontinuation|related|2026-04-09", "GLP-1 year-one persistence for obesity nearly doubled from 2021 to 2024 driven by supply normalization and improved patient management|related|2026-04-09"]
---

# GLP-1 long-term persistence remains structurally limited at 14 percent by year two despite year-one improvements

Despite the near-doubling of year-one persistence rates, Prime Therapeutics data shows only 14% of members newly initiating a GLP-1 for obesity without diabetes were persistent at two years (1 in 7). Three-year data from earlier cohorts shows further decline to approximately 8-10%. The striking divergence between year-one persistence (62.7% for semaglutide in 2024) and year-two persistence (14%) suggests that the drivers of short-term adherence improvement—supply access, initial motivation, dose titration support—are fundamentally different from the drivers of long-term dropout. This creates a structural ceiling on long-term adherence under current support infrastructure. The mechanisms that successfully doubled year-one persistence (supply normalization, improved patient management) do not translate to sustained behavior change, suggesting that continuous monitoring, behavioral support, or different care delivery models may be required to address the long-term adherence problem. This persistence ceiling is the specific mechanism by which the population-level mortality signal from GLP-1 therapy gets delayed despite widespread adoption.

## Extending Evidence

**Source:** KFF 2025 poll

Cost is a major driver of discontinuation: 14% of former GLP-1 users stopped due to cost, matching the 13% who stopped due to side effects. Among current users, 56% report difficulty affording medications, suggesting cost pressure operates throughout the treatment duration, not just at initiation. The 27% of insured users paying full out-of-pocket cost indicates insurance coverage gaps contribute to persistence failures.


## Extending Evidence

**Source:** Cell/Med 2025, The Societal Implications of Using GLP-1 Receptor Agonists for the Treatment of Obesity

Cell/Med 2025 connects low persistence rates to the sustainability concern: chronic use model + high prices + discontinuation effects = fiscal unsustainability at scale. The paper notes need to 'consider acceptability over long term and implications for weight stigma,' suggesting that persistence barriers are not just clinical or financial but also social. The equity inversion compounds this: those with highest need face both highest discontinuation rates (per existing KB claims on wealth-stratified access) and lowest initial access, creating a double barrier to population-level impact.


## Extending Evidence

**Source:** PHTI Employer GLP-1 Coverage Market Trend Report, December 2025

PHTI December 2025 report documents employer payer response to low GLP-1 persistence: movement toward bundled coverage requiring behavioral support programs as a condition of drug coverage. Employers are framing GLP-1 coverage without personal support as 'wasted wellness dollars' (Benefits Pro, March 2026). This represents the market mechanism translating adherence data into coverage architecture—payers are structurally responding to the persistence problem by mandating behavioral wraparound rather than covering drugs alone.


## Extending Evidence

**Source:** eClinicalMedicine/Lancet 2025 discontinuation meta-analysis

The biological mechanism underlying low persistence creates a clinical revolving door: when patients discontinue (which 85% do by year two), they regain two-thirds of lost weight within 6 months. For semaglutide/tirzepatide users, mean regain is 9.69 kg. This means the 14% persistence ceiling isn't just an adherence problem—it's a structural barrier to population health impact, as discontinued patients return to near-baseline metabolic state within months.


## Extending Evidence

**Source:** Truveta Research ISPOR 2025

Truveta data shows the first 4 weeks (titration phase) are the highest-risk period for dropout, with persistence improving after initial titration but remaining below 50% for non-T2D patients. This temporal pattern suggests that interventions targeting the titration phase could disproportionately improve long-term persistence.


## Supporting Evidence

**Source:** on/healthcare.tech analysis, Prime Therapeutics via Mercer

Meta-regression data cited by on/healthcare.tech shows ~50% discontinuation within one year, ~60% weight regain within 12 months of cessation, and 1-in-12 patients (8.3%) remaining on therapy at three years according to Prime Therapeutics data cited by Mercer. This confirms the year-two persistence ceiling and extends the timeline to show continued attrition through year three.


## Extending Evidence

**Source:** Nicholas Thompson LinkedIn 2026; cross-reference to digital-behavioral-support-improves-glp1-persistence-20-percentage-points

The $1.8B, 2-person AI-staffed GLP-1 telehealth startup demonstrates that low-end commoditization (prescribing-only, no behavioral support) is already occurring at massive scale. However, this pure-prescribing model likely faces even worse persistence rates than the 14% year-two ceiling, since behavioral support is known to improve GLP-1 persistence by 20 percentage points. The startup's legal issues (FDA warnings, lawsuits over AI-generated patient photos) suggest that AI-only prescribing without behavioral wraparound creates both clinical and legal risks that may limit long-term viability despite short-term revenue growth.


## Supporting Evidence

**Source:** PHTI December 2025 employer report citing Prime Therapeutics

Prime Therapeutics data cited in PHTI report confirms only 1-in-12 patients (8.3%) remain on therapy after three years, which is even lower than the 14% year-two ceiling. This provides independent corroboration from a major PBM dataset.
