Veena Watwe, MD
Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism · Houston, TXNPI 1417120221
Payments from drug & device makers
What this record shows
This record is dominated by speaking fees: $108,180 of the $156,746 with a category attached, or 69.0%. 60 manufacturers reported payments, led by Abbott at 32.3% of the total. Among endocrinology, diabetes & metabolism clinicians in TX with any reported payments, this total sits in the top 10% — high for the specialty, which is a reason to read the composition above rather than the number alone.
Across 1,456 payments — averaging $107.66 each. Meals, travel, consulting and speaking fees, gifts and royalties reported by drug and device makers.
- Abbott$51K
- Mannkind Corporation$34K
- Lilly USA, LLC$29K
- Valeritas, Inc.$12K
- Cequr Corporation$9K
- Zealand Pharma US, Inc.$4K
- plus $19K from 54 others
Across 32 payments — averaging $26,111 each. Payments tied to a research study. These frequently flow through the physician to a hospital or research institution rather than to the physician personally.
- Novartis$524K
- AbbVie$293K
- Recordati_rare_diseases_inc.$13K
- Shionogi Inc$5K
What the payments were for
- Consulting fees$11,2387%
- Speaking & faculty fees$108,18069%
- Travel & lodging$9,7866%
- Food & beverage$27,34217%
- Education$1410%
- Gifts$590%
General payments by program year
Who reported the general payments
Companies are grouped under their corporate parent — a single manufacturer often files under several CMS reporting entities. Research and ownership payments are counted separately and are not in this table.
What the payments were tied to
Products named in the reported payments. Only payments of $100 or more are attributed here — the typical reported payment nationally is a meal worth about $16, and listing those product-by-product would be noise.
- FREESTYLE LIBRE 3$48,550
- AFREZZA$28,327
- HUMULIN$22,825
- V-GO$17,274
- CeQur Simplicity$8,428
- Korlym$1,820
- TRULICITY$1,461
- FreeStyle Libre 2$147
- EVERSENSE 365 SENSOR KIT (RETAIL)$120
- DEXCOM G6 TRANSMITTER$119
- Pogo Automatic Blood Glucose Monitoring System$106
- EVERSENSE E3 SENSOR KIT - RETAIL$102
- V-GO DISPOSABLE INSULIN DELIVERY$101
- FreeStyle Libre$100
How this compares
$156,746 in reported general payments places this provider in the 90th percentile of 658 endocrinology, diabetes & metabolism providers in Texas.
See all endocrinology, diabetes & metabolism providers in Texas →
Medicare billing
What this is not: this is the amount Original Medicare Part B allowed for services this provider billed in 2024. It is not their income. It excludes Medicare Advantage — now more than half of all Medicare enrollment — along with Medicaid and all commercial insurance, and it is gross practice revenue before staff, rent, supplies and malpractice premiums. CMS also suppresses any figure covering ten or fewer patients, so low-volume providers appear smaller than they are.
Most prescribed under Part D
| Drug | Claims | Cost to plans & patients |
|---|---|---|
| OzempicSemaglutide | 349 | $463,038 |
| TrulicityDulaglutide | 180 | $278,185 |
| MounjaroTirzepatide | 141 | $228,732 |
| JardianceEmpagliflozin | 161 | $164,543 |
| FarxigaDapagliflozin Propanediol | 129 | $128,866 |
| KerendiaFinerenone | 81 | $78,596 |
| Humulin R U-500 KwikpenInsulin Regular, Human | 41 | $76,578 |
| RybelsusSemaglutide | 51 | $72,115 |
| Synjardy XrEmpagliflozin/Metformin Hcl | 57 | $65,998 |
| ProliaDenosumab | 30 | $51,431 |
| JanuviaSitagliptin Phosphate | 53 | $50,884 |
| VascepaIcosapent Ethyl | 79 | $41,513 |
| Tresiba Flextouch U-200Insulin Degludec | 39 | $37,428 |
| TymlosAbaloparatide | 11 | $33,957 |
| Toujeo SolostarInsulin Glargine,hum.Rec.Anlog | 40 | $31,461 |
Paid to pharmacies, not to this prescriber.
Companies that both paid and supply prescribed drugs
These companies both reported payments to this provider and make drugs the provider prescribed under Medicare Part D in 2024. For most specialties this overlap is expected — a cardiologist who is paid by a cardiology drugmaker also treats heart disease. It is shown so the reader can see it, not because it implies anything on its own.
| Company | Paid to this provider | Part D cost of their drugs |
|---|---|---|
| Novo NordiskOzempic, Rybelsus, Novolog | $996 | $550,185446 claims |
| Lilly USA, LLCTrulicity, Mounjaro, Humalog | $28,541 | $515,375355 claims |
| Boehringer IngelheimJardiance, Synjardy Xr | $524 | $230,541218 claims |
| AstraZenecaFarxiga | $1,350 | $128,866129 claims |
| BayerKerendia | $489 | $78,59681 claims |
| MerckJanuvia, Janumet | $484 | $78,51772 claims |
| AmgenProlia | $1,074 | $51,43130 claims |
| Radius Health, Inc.Tymlos | $312 | $33,95711 claims |
| Cequr CorporationCequr Simplicity | $8,594 | $17,94031 claims |
| AbbVieSynthroid | $302 | $17,761208 claims |
| Sanofi-aventis U.S. LLCSoliqua 100-33 | $935 | $13,39213 claims |
| Esperion Therapeutics, Inc.Nexlizet | $212 | $9,77917 claims |
Reading this fairly. The Part D column is what drug plans and patients paid pharmacies — this provider received none of it, and it reflects how many patients they treat and what those drugs cost. Against peers, this provider's reported payments sit in the 90th percentile of 658 endocrinology, diabetes & metabolism providers in Texas.
Other endocrinology, diabetes & metabolism in Houston
- Rocio HarbisonHouston$989K
- Andres SplenserHouston$923K
- Daniel TungHouston$753K
- Damaris VegaHouston$565K
- Steven PetakHouston$452K
- Amin JamalHouston$217K
- Laila TabatabaiHouston$207K
- Rakesh PatelHouston$187K
- Tiana ShiverHouston$136K
- Lance SloanLufkin$1.7M
Where these figures come from
- Payments: CMS Open Payments, program years 2019–2025 (publication P06302026_06032026).
- Billing: Medicare Physician & Other Practitioners, data year 2024. Original Medicare Part B only.
- Identity: NPPES NPI Registry, July 2026.