A recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine reveals a significant increase in the number of individuals without diabetes being prescribed GLP-1 medications, while prescriptions for those with diabetes are declining. The study highlights concerns about potential shortages of these drugs.
GLP-1 medications, which mimic a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar and suppress appetite, were originally approved for treating type 2 diabetes. However, in 2021, the FDA expanded the approval of Wegovy, a GLP-1 treatment, for weight loss purposes.
Both Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, two leading manufacturers of GLP-1 drugs like Zepbound, Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Ozempic, are struggling to keep up with the surge in demand.
Researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and other institutions evaluated the medical records of 45 million Americans who had at least one doctor visit between 2011 and 2023. They found that the proportion of new GLP-1 users with type 2 diabetes dropped from nearly 90% to over 70% from 2019 to 2023, while the percentage of new users without diabetes increased from 10% to 25%.
Co-first author Yee Hui Yeo commented, “This data suggests that more healthcare providers are recognizing the benefits of these medications for treating obesity, indicating a significant public health shift. However, it also raises concerns about potential medication shortages and the need to ensure patients with diabetes continue to have access to these treatments.”
The data utilized in the study came from the healthcare software company TriNetX, which may not be fully representative on a national scale.
Over recent years, GLP-1 drugs have gained popularity due to their appetite-suppressing effects, with some users losing up to 26% of their body weight.
The soaring sales of these medications have propelled Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to become two of the most valuable pharmaceutical companies globally. Nevertheless, the high demand has resulted in challenges for some patients attempting to fill their prescriptions. Both companies have invested billions to increase production capacity.
Morgan Stanley analysts predict that the global market for GLP-1 drugs will reach $105 billion by 2030, with an expected adoption rate of about 31.5 million people in the U.S. by 2035, representing roughly 9% of the population.