A recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine highlights an increasing trend where more individuals without diabetes are being prescribed GLP-1 medications, while new prescriptions for those with diabetes are declining. This shift raises concerns about potential shortages of these essential treatments.
GLP-1 drugs, designed to mimic a hormone that regulates blood sugar and suppresses appetite, were originally approved for treating type 2 diabetes. However, in 2021, the FDA expanded the approval of the GLP-1 drug Wegovy for weight loss purposes.
Since that time, both Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have faced challenges in producing enough GLP-1 medications, including Zepbound, Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Ozempic, to satisfy the growing demand.
Researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and other institutions examined medical records of 45 million Americans who visited a healthcare provider 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% between 2019 and 2023. Conversely, the proportion of new GLP-1 users without type 2 diabetes increased from 10% to 25%.
Yee Hui Yeo, one of the study’s co-authors, noted that this trend indicates a significant public health shift, as more healthcare providers recognize the benefits of these medications for obesity treatment. However, it also raises critical concerns about ensuring ongoing access to these medications for diabetes patients.
The study utilized data from the healthcare software company TriNetX, which may not be entirely representative of the national population.
In recent years, GLP-1 medications have gained popularity due to their appetite-suppressing effects, with users reported to lose up to 26% of their body weight.
The surging sales of these drugs have propelled Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to the status of the world’s most valuable pharmaceutical companies. However, the high demand has complicated the process for some patients trying to fill prescriptions, prompting both companies to invest billions into increasing production.
Morgan Stanley analysts predict that the global market for GLP-1 drugs will reach $105 billion by 2030 and expect around 31.5 million people in the U.S., approximately 9% of the population, to adopt these medications by 2035.