A recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine highlights a significant trend in the use of GLP-1 medications, showing an increase in prescriptions among individuals without diabetes while prescriptions for those with diabetes are declining.
Researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and other institutions examined the medical records of 45 million Americans from 2011 to 2023. Their findings reveal that the percentage of new GLP-1 users diagnosed with type 2 diabetes has dropped from nearly 90% to over 70% between 2019 and 2023. Conversely, the proportion of new users without type 2 diabetes surged from 10% to 25%.
The study authors caution that this shift raises concerns about possible shortages of these treatments, which were initially approved for managing type 2 diabetes but gained FDA approval for weight loss in 2021 with Wegovy. Both Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly are currently struggling to keep up with the growing demand for GLP-1 medications, which include Zepbound, Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Ozempic.
Healthcare providers are increasingly recognizing the benefits of these drugs for treating obesity, according to Yee Hui Yeo, one of the study’s co-authors. However, there is a pressing need to ensure that diabetic patients continue to access these medications.
The study’s data, sourced from the healthcare software company TriNetX, may not represent the entire national landscape. In recent years, GLP-1 drugs have gained popularity due to their appetite-suppressing effects, demonstrating the potential for users to lose up to 26% of their body weight.
The surge in demand for these medications has elevated Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to become some of the world’s most valuable pharmaceutical companies, although this high demand has created challenges for patients in obtaining their prescriptions. Both companies are investing heavily to increase production capabilities.
Analysts at Morgan Stanley project that the global market for GLP-1 drugs will reach $105 billion by 2030, with expectations that approximately 31.5 million individuals in the U.S. will adopt these treatments by 2035, accounting for about 9% of the population.