What’s the hype?

It's no surprise that glucagon like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs have taken the health care industry by storm. GLP-1s, originally designed to treat diabetes, are now being recognized for their potentially drastic weight loss transformations, sparking a seismic demand for these drugs and creating shortages for diabetic patients in need.

In fact, in under two years, prescriptions for GLP-1s nearly doubled¹. While the FDA has approved select GLP-1 therapies for weight loss, utilization trends show a dramatic increase in the use of unapproved type 2 diabetes GLP-1 therapies for weight loss.

What’s on the horizon?

When we look at historical utilization and spend patterns, we forecast that increasing GLP-1 weight loss utilization by just 1% of an insured population would drive a 5% increase in self-insured employer drug spend, totaling a rise of $10+ in costs per member per month (PMPM).

Ready to dive deeper?

The trends are clear: GLP-1s aren’t going anywhere. But we also still have much to learn about these relatively new therapies.

Using the link below, take a look through our unique clinical lens with The evolution of GLP-1s, designed to deliver management strategies to help you develop a holistic approach to capitalize on the opportunities in this space.

You’ll also learn more about our real-world analysis, see the pipeline for GLP-1s and gain access to valuable information spend and trend data.

¹ Internal Prime Therapeutics and Magellan Rx analysis, 2023
² Internal 2023 Prime Therapeutics and Magellan Rx analytics based on current GLP-1 list prices, including, but not limited to, Wegovy^® and Zepbound^®