A recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine has revealed a growing trend in the prescription of GLP-1 drugs among individuals without diabetes, while new prescriptions for diabetic patients are declining. The study raises concerns about potential shortages of these treatments.
GLP-1 medications, which mimic a hormone that regulates blood sugar and suppresses appetite, were initially approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. However, following the FDA’s approval of Wegovy for weight loss in 2021, their use has expanded beyond diabetes management.
Researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center analyzed medical records from 45 million Americans who visited healthcare providers between 2011 and 2023. They found that the percentage of new GLP-1 users with type 2 diabetes dropped from nearly 90% to over 70% from 2019 to 2023, while those without diabetes rose from 10% to 25%. Yee Hui Yeo, the study’s co-first author, noted that this shift indicates an increasing recognition of the benefits of these drugs for obesity treatment, though it also poses challenges for diabetes patients’ access to medication.
The demand for GLP-1 drugs, known for their appetite-suppressing effects and the potential for users to lose up to 26% of their body weight, has surged. This demand has elevated Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to become the most valuable pharmaceutical companies globally. However, the high demand has created difficulties for some patients in obtaining their prescriptions, prompting both companies to invest heavily in increasing production capacity.
Morgan Stanley forecasts that the global market for GLP-1 drugs could reach $105 billion by 2030, estimating that about 31.5 million people in the U.S. will use these medications by 2035, accounting for approximately 9% of the population.