A recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine reveals an increasing trend in the prescription of GLP-1 drugs to individuals without diabetes, while prescriptions for those with diabetes have decreased. Researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and other institutions analyzed the medical records of 45 million Americans between 2011 and 2023 and found that the percentage of new GLP-1 users with type 2 diabetes declined from nearly 90% to over 70%. Conversely, the proportion of new users without diabetes grew from 10% to 25% during the same period.
This shift in prescribing patterns raises concerns about potential shortages of these medications, which are designed to regulate blood sugar and suppress appetite. Originally approved for treating type 2 diabetes, the FDA later authorized Wegovy, a GLP-1 treatment, for weight loss in 2021.
Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, leading manufacturers of GLP-1 drugs, are struggling to keep up with escalating demand. The study suggests a growing recognition among healthcare providers regarding the benefits of these medications for obesity treatment, indicating a significant public health trend. Researchers emphasized the need to ensure continued access to these treatments for diabetes patients.
Significant appetite-suppressing effects have driven the recent popularity of GLP-1 drugs, with users reportedly losing up to 26% of their body weight. As a result, Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk have emerged as two of the world’s most valuable pharmaceutical companies. However, high demand has made it challenging for some patients to fill their prescriptions, prompting both companies to invest substantially in expanding production capabilities.
Analysts from Morgan Stanley predict that the global market for GLP-1 drugs could reach $105 billion by 2030, with an expected increase in adoption to about 31.5 million people in the U.S., representing approximately 9% of the population, by 2035.