A recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine reveals a growing trend where an increasing number of individuals without diabetes are being prescribed GLP-1 medications, while new prescriptions for diabetic patients are declining.
Researchers expressed concerns regarding potential shortages of these treatments. GLP-1 medications function by imitating a hormone that manages blood sugar levels and decreases appetite. Initially, these drugs were sanctioned for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, but in 2021, Wegovy, a GLP-1 treatment, received FDA approval for weight loss purposes.
This shift in prescription patterns has put pressure on pharmaceutical companies, particularly Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, as they strive to produce enough GLP-1 drugs, which include Zepbound, Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Ozempic, to satisfy increasing demand.
The study, conducted by researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and other institutions, examined the medical records of 45 million Americans who visited a doctor from 2011 to 2023. The findings indicated a drop in the share of new GLP-1 users with type 2 diabetes from nearly 90% to over 70% between 2019 and 2023, while the percentage of new users without diabetes rose from 10% to 25%.
Co-first author Yee Hui Yeo stated that this trend indicates a growing recognition among healthcare providers regarding the advantages of these medications for obesity treatment, marking a significant public health shift. However, it also raises alarms about medication shortages and the necessity to guarantee that diabetes patients maintain access to these treatments.
The study utilized data from the healthcare software company TriNetX, which may not fully represent the national population.
GLP-1 drugs have gained popularity due to their appetite-suppressing effects and have been shown to aid users in losing up to 26% of their body weight. The soaring sales of these medications have propelled Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to the status of the world’s most valuable pharmaceutical companies, yet the mounting demand has made it challenging for some patients to obtain their prescriptions. Both companies have committed billions to enhance their production capacity.
Morgan Stanley analysts predict that the global market for these medications could reach $105 billion by 2030 and anticipate that about 31.5 million Americans, or approximately 9% of the population, will adopt these drugs by 2035.