A recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine reveals that the number of individuals without diabetes being prescribed GLP-1 medications is on the rise, while new prescriptions for those with diabetes are declining. Researchers are raising alarms about potential shortages of these treatments due to this shift in demand.
GLP-1 drugs, which were originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes, function by mimicking a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar and curtail appetite. The FDA’s 2021 approval of Wegovy for weight loss has contributed to the growing interest in these medications.
Leading pharmaceutical companies Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly are finding it increasingly challenging to meet the escalating demand for GLP-1 medications, which include Zepbound, Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Ozempic.
The research team from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and other institutions analyzed medical records from 45 million American patients who visited healthcare providers between 2011 and 2023. They discovered that the proportion of new GLP-1 users with type 2 diabetes dropped from nearly 90% to over 70% from 2019 to 2023. Conversely, the percentage of new users without diabetes surged from 10% to 25%.
Yee Hui Yeo, co-first author of the study, noted that the data indicates an increasing recognition among healthcare providers of the benefits of these medications in managing obesity, which marks a significant change in public health. However, this trend also sparks concerns about ensuring access to these treatments for patients with diabetes.
The study’s data was sourced from the healthcare software company TriNetX, which may not fully represent national healthcare trends.
GLP-1 drugs have gained popularity in recent years due to their appetite-suppressing effects, allowing users to lose as much as 26% of their body weight.
The soaring demand for these medications has propelled Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to become some of the world’s most valuable pharmaceutical companies, although it has also led to prescription fulfillment challenges for certain patients. Both companies have invested significantly to increase their production capacity.
Morgan Stanley analysts project that the global market for GLP-1 medications could reach $105 billion by 2030, with an expected uptake of approximately 31.5 million individuals in the U.S.—about 9% of the population—by 2035.