Surge in Ozempic and Wegovy Prescriptions Could Change Public Health As We Know It

Study indicates surge in prescriptions to treat obesity and prevent its complications. Photo via Getty. Investigators at Cedars-Sinai and other institutions conducted a nationwide, population-based study to identify trends in the use of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs)—prescription medications sold under popular drug names like Ozempic and Wegovy—in the United States. The study results, published in Annals of Internal Medicine, could help researchers evaluate how the prescription patterns of GLP-1RAs have changed over time, particularly for the use for treating Type 2 diabetes versus obesity. GLP-1RA medications are a newer class of medications that were originally developed to treat patients with Type 2 diabetes. However, given their promising results, in 2021 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the medications for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or those who are overweight with at least one weight-related condition, such as high blood pressure, prediabetes or blood vessel disease. Since then, the demand for these drugs has skyrocketed, with a marked surge in GLP-1RA prescriptions for weight loss management. However, the steady swell in demand has also had downstream effects leading to nationwide drug shortages and issues with accessibility. “Essentially, after the medication was approved for obesity, GLP-1RA use took...