A recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine reveals a growing trend in the prescription of GLP-1 drugs to individuals without diabetes, while new prescriptions for diabetic patients are declining. The authors of the study express concern over possible shortages of these medications.
GLP-1 drugs mimic a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar and suppress appetite. Initially approved for treating type 2 diabetes, the FDA expanded their use in 2021 to include Wegovy for weight loss. Since then, pharmaceutical companies Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have faced challenges in meeting the increased demand for these medications, which include Zepbound, Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Ozempic.
Researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and other institutions analyzed medical records from 45 million Americans who visited a healthcare provider between 2011 and 2023. Their findings indicate that the percentage of new GLP-1 users with type 2 diabetes dropped from nearly 90% to over 70% from 2019 to 2023, while the share of new users without diabetes rose from 10% to 25%.
Yee Hui Yeo, co-first author of the study, noted that this shift reflects a growing recognition among healthcare providers of the benefits these medications offer for obesity management, but it also highlights the risk of shortages and the need for continued access for diabetic patients.
The study’s data is derived from the healthcare software company TriNetX, which may not fully represent national trends. In recent years, GLP-1 drugs have gained popularity for their appetite-suppressing effects, with users reportedly losing up to 26% of their body weight.
The surge in demand for these drugs has propelled Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to become leading pharmaceutical companies worldwide. However, the high demand is making it difficult for some patients to fulfill their prescriptions. To meet this demand, both companies have invested heavily in increasing their production capabilities.
Market analysts from Morgan Stanley project that the global market for GLP-1 drugs could reach $105 billion by 2030, with an estimated 31.5 million people in the U.S.—approximately 9% of the population—expected to use these medications by 2035.