A recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine reveals a growing trend of prescriptions for GLP-1 drugs among individuals without diabetes, while the number of new prescriptions for those with diabetes is declining. Researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and other institutions analyzed the medical records of 45 million Americans from 2011 to 2023. Their findings indicate that the percentage of new GLP-1 users with type 2 diabetes has decreased from nearly 90% to over 70% between 2019 and 2023. In contrast, the proportion of new users without diabetes has increased from 10% to 25%.
GLP-1 medications, originally approved for treating type 2 diabetes, work by mimicking a hormone that regulates blood sugar and reduces appetite. The FDA approved Wegovy, a GLP-1 treatment, for weight loss in 2021, leading to a surge in demand for these drugs. Both Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have faced challenges in producing enough GLP-1 medications to meet this rising demand, which includes Zepbound, Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Ozempic.
Yee Hui Yeo, a co-first author of the study, highlighted the shift in prescription practices, suggesting that more healthcare providers recognize the benefits of these medications for addressing obesity. However, this trend has raised concerns about potential shortages, emphasizing the need to ensure that patients with diabetes retain access to essential treatments.
Despite the study’s reliance on data from the healthcare software company TriNetX, which may not reflect the entire national landscape, it underscores the increasing popularity of GLP-1 drugs for their appetite-suppressing effects, with users reportedly losing up to 26% of their body weight.
As sales of these medications soar, Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk have become leading pharmaceutical companies globally. However, the spike in demand has resulted in difficulties for some patients in obtaining their prescriptions. Both companies have committed substantial investments to enhance their production capabilities.
Morgan Stanley analysts project that the global market for GLP-1 drugs could reach $105 billion by 2030, expecting the adoption rate in the U.S. to increase to approximately 31.5 million individuals, or about 9% of the population, by 2035.