A recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine reveals a growing trend in the prescription of GLP-1 drugs among individuals without diabetes, while new prescriptions for diabetic patients are declining. Researchers warn that this shift may lead to potential shortages of these essential treatments.
GLP-1 medications, which mimic a hormone that controls blood sugar levels and suppresses appetite, were originally approved for treating type 2 diabetes. However, in 2021, the FDA authorized the use of the GLP-1 drug Wegovy for weight loss.
Currently, pharmaceutical companies Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly are facing challenges in producing sufficient quantities of GLP-1 drugs, including Zepbound, Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Ozempic, to keep up with the surging demand.
A team from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and other institutions analyzed the medical records of 45 million Americans who visited a doctor between 2011 and 2023. Their findings showed that the percentage of new GLP-1 users with type 2 diabetes decreased from nearly 90% to over 70% between 2019 and 2023, while the proportion of new users without diabetes rose from 10% to 25%.
Yee Hui Yeo, co-first author of the study, noted that this data indicates an increasing recognition among healthcare providers of the benefits of these medications for obesity treatment, signaling a public health shift. However, it also highlights concerns regarding medication shortages and the need to ensure diabetes patients can access their necessary treatments.
The study utilized data from TriNetX, a healthcare software company, which may not fully represent national trends. In recent years, GLP-1 drugs have gained popularity due to their appetite-suppressing effects and the potential for users to lose up to 26% of their body weight.
With soaring sales, Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk have emerged as some of the world’s most valuable pharmaceutical companies. Nonetheless, the high demand has led to difficulties for some patients in obtaining their prescriptions. Both companies have invested significant resources to enhance their production capabilities.
Analysts at Morgan Stanley project that the global market for GLP-1 drugs could reach $105 billion by 2030, with an estimated 31.5 million users in the U.S. — roughly 9% of the population — by 2035.