A recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine reveals that the proportion of individuals without diabetes being prescribed GLP-1 medications is on the rise, while new prescriptions for patients with diabetes are declining. This trend could potentially lead to shortages of these important treatments.
GLP-1 drugs, initially approved for type 2 diabetes management, function by mimicking a hormone responsible for blood sugar regulation and appetite control. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) expanded their use in 2021 by approving Wegovy for weight loss.
Currently, both Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly are facing challenges in meeting the increasing demand for GLP-1 medications, which include Zepbound, Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Ozempic.
Researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and other institutions examined the medical records of 45 million Americans who visited healthcare providers between 2011 and 2023. Their findings indicated a decline in new GLP-1 users with type 2 diabetes from almost 90% in 2019 to over 70% in 2023. Conversely, the percentage of new GLP-1 users without diabetes increased from 10% to 25% during the same period.
Yee Hui Yeo, co-first author of the study, noted that this shift highlights an increasing recognition among healthcare providers of the benefits of these medications for obesity treatment. However, it also raises concerns regarding access to these drugs for diabetes patients.
The study’s data, sourced from the healthcare software company TriNetX, may not represent the entire U.S. population.
In recent years, GLP-1 medications have gained popularity due to their ability to suppress appetite and facilitate weight loss, with users reportedly losing up to 26% of their body weight.
The soaring sales of these drugs have catapulted Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to become the most valuable pharmaceutical companies globally. Nonetheless, the surge in demand has created difficulties for some patients in obtaining their prescriptions. Both companies are investing significantly to boost production capacity.
Morgan Stanley analysts project that the global market for GLP-1 drugs could reach $105 billion by 2030, and they estimate that by 2035, around 31.5 million people in the U.S. will be using these treatments, representing approximately 9% of the population.