A recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine reveals an increasing trend of GLP-1 drug prescriptions among individuals without diabetes, coinciding with a decline in new prescriptions for those with the condition.
GLP-1 drugs, which were originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes by mimicking a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels and reduces appetite, gained additional attention in 2021 when the FDA approved Wegovy for weight loss. As a result, both Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have encountered challenges in producing enough GLP-1 medications, including Zepbound, Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Ozempic, to satisfy the rising demand.
Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and other institutions analyzed medical records of 45 million Americans who visited doctors between 2011 and 2023. Their findings showed that the proportion of new GLP-1 users with type 2 diabetes decreased from nearly 90% in 2019 to over 70% by 2023, while the percentage of new users without diabetes increased from 10% to 25%.
Yee Hui Yeo, the co-first author of the study, commented, “This data suggests that more healthcare providers are seeing the benefits of these medications for treating obesity, which is a significant public health shift. However, it also raises concerns about potential medication shortages and the need to ensure that patients with diabetes still have access to these treatments.”
The study utilized data from healthcare software company TriNetX, which may not fully represent the national population. GLP-1 drugs have gained popularity for their appetite-suppressing effects, with clinical studies indicating users can lose up to 26% of their body weight.
As demand for these drugs soars, Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk have risen to become two of the world’s most valuable pharmaceutical companies. Nevertheless, this high demand has led to difficulties for some patients in obtaining their prescriptions. Both companies are investing billions to enhance their production capabilities.
Analysts from Morgan Stanley predict that the global market for GLP-1 drugs could reach $105 billion by 2030, with an estimated 31.5 million people in the U.S., or roughly 9% of the population, expected to adopt these medications by 2035.