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 those with diabetes are declining. This shift raises concerns about potential shortages of these medications.
GLP-1 drugs, which were initially developed for type 2 diabetes patients, function by imitating a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar levels and decreases appetite. In 2021, the FDA extended the approval of Wegovy, a GLP-1 treatment, for weight loss purposes.
Both Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly are currently facing challenges in scaling their production to meet the surging demand for GLP-1 medications, which include Zepbound, Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Ozempic.
Researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and other institutions reviewed medical records of 45 million Americans who visited doctors from 2011 to 2023. They found that the percentage of new GLP-1 users with type 2 diabetes dropped from nearly 90% to over 70% between 2019 and 2023. Conversely, the proportion of new users without type 2 diabetes increased from 10% to 25%.
Yee Hui Yeo, a co-first author of the study, noted that this data points to a significant public health shift, indicating that more healthcare providers are recognizing the benefits of these medications for obesity treatment. However, it also raises alarms about ensuring that diabetic patients retain access to these essential treatments.
The study utilized data from the healthcare software company TriNetX, which may not fully represent national trends.
In recent years, the appetite-suppressing effects of GLP-1 drugs have made them extremely popular, enabling users to lose as much as 26% of their body weight.
The surge in sales of these drugs has propelled Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to become the world’s most valuable pharmaceutical companies. However, high demand has created difficulties for some patients in filling their prescriptions. Both companies have invested billions to enhance their production capabilities.
Morgan Stanley analysts 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. adopting these drugs by 2035, representing about 9% of the population.