A recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine reveals that the number of individuals without diabetes who are being prescribed GLP-1 medications is increasing, while new prescriptions for diabetics are declining. This shift raises concerns about potential shortages of these treatments, according to the study’s authors.
GLP-1 drugs, initially approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, work by mimicking a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar and curbs appetite. The trend began to change after the FDA approved Wegovy, a GLP-1 treatment, for weight loss in 2021.
Since that approval, pharmaceutical companies Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have had difficulty keeping up with the growing demand for GLP-1 medications, which include Zepbound, Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Ozempic.
Researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and other institutions examined the medical records of 45 million Americans visiting doctors between 2011 and 2023. They found that the percentage of new GLP-1 users with type 2 diabetes dropped from nearly 90% in 2019 to over 70% in 2023. Concurrently, the proportion of new users without diabetes increased from 10% to 25%.
Yee Hui Yeo, a co-first author of the study, stated, “This data suggests that more healthcare providers are recognizing the benefits of these medications for treating obesity, which is a significant public health shift. However, it also raises concerns about potential medication shortages and the need to ensure that patients with diabetes still have access to these treatments.”
The study utilized data from healthcare software company TriNetX, which may not fully represent national trends.
GLP-1 medications have gained popularity due to their appetite-suppressing effects, with studies indicating that users can lose up to 26% of their body weight.
The soaring sales of these drugs have positioned Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk among the world’s most valuable pharmaceutical firms. However, the high demand has made it challenging for some patients to fill their prescriptions. Both companies have invested billions to enhance production capabilities.
Analysts at Morgan Stanley project that the global market for GLP-1 drugs will reach $105 billion by 2030, with an estimated 31.5 million people in the U.S. expected to adopt these medications by 2035, representing about 9% of the population.