A recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine reveals a rising trend in the prescription of GLP-1 drugs to individuals without diabetes, coinciding with a decline in new prescriptions for diabetics. The authors of the study caution that this trend could lead to potential shortages of these medications.
GLP-1 drugs function by mimicking a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar and suppress appetite. Initially approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, the FDA expanded approvals in 2021 to include Wegovy for weight loss.
Both Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, key players in this market, are facing challenges in meeting the increasing demand for GLP-1 drugs, which include Zepbound, Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Ozempic.
Researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and other institutions scrutinized the medical records of 45 million Americans who visited a physician from 2011 to 2023. Their findings indicate that the percentage of new GLP-1 users with type 2 diabetes decreased from nearly 90% to over 70% between 2019 and 2023, while the share of new GLP-1 users without diabetes rose from 10% to 25%.
Yee Hui Yeo, a co-first author of the study, commented on the shift, stating that it shows an increasing recognition among healthcare providers of the benefits of these medications for obesity treatment. However, she also highlighted concerns about how this trend might affect access for diabetic patients.
The study utilized data from healthcare software company TriNetX, which may not fully represent the national landscape. Over recent years, GLP-1 drugs have gained popularity due to their appetite-suppressing effects, with users reportedly losing up to 26% of their body weight.
The surge in sales of these medications has propelled Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to become two of the most valuable pharmaceutical companies globally. Nonetheless, the high demand is causing challenges for some patients in obtaining their prescriptions. In response, both companies have committed billions to enhance their production capacities.
Analysts from Morgan Stanley project that the global market for GLP-1 drugs could reach $105 billion by 2030, predicting that approximately 31.5 million people in the U.S., or about 9% of the population, could be using these medications by 2035.