A recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine reveals a growing trend of prescribing GLP-1 drugs to individuals without diabetes, while new prescriptions for those with diabetes are declining. The authors of the study caution that this shift could lead to potential shortages of these medications.
GLP-1 drugs, which mimic a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels and curbs appetite, were initially approved for treating type 2 diabetes. However, in 2021, the Food and Drug Administration expanded the approval of Wegovy, a GLP-1 treatment, for weight loss purposes.
Since then, both Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have struggled to keep up with the increasing demand for GLP-1 drugs, which include medications like Zepbound, Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Ozempic.
Researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and other institutions examined medical records of 45 million Americans who visited doctors between 2011 and 2023. Their analysis showed a decrease in the proportion of new GLP-1 users with type 2 diabetes from nearly 90% to over 70% from 2019 to 2023, while the share of new users without diabetes grew from 10% to 25%.
According to Yee Hui Yeo, co-first author of the study, this shift suggests that healthcare providers are increasingly recognizing the benefits of these medications for obesity treatment, reflecting a significant public health change. However, it also raises concerns about ensuring that diabetes patients continue to have access to these essential treatments.
The study utilized data from TriNetX, a healthcare software company, which may not represent the entire national population.
GLP-1 drugs have gained popularity due to their appetite-suppressing effects and have been shown to aid in weight loss of up to 26%. The soaring sales of these medications have made Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk among the most valuable pharmaceutical companies globally, but this high demand has resulted in challenges for patients trying to fill their prescriptions. Both companies have committed billions of dollars to increase their production of these drugs.
Morgan Stanley analysts project that the global market for these medications will reach $105 billion by 2030 and predict that approximately 31.5 million people in the U.S. will adopt these treatments by 2035, accounting for about 9% of the population.