AJMC reports sharp rise in GLP-1 prescriptions

AJMC on May 21 featured a study showing U.S. prescribing of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists rose significantly from 2018 to 2023, with semaglutide taking a growing share of use. The study, published in the August 2025 issue of *The American Journal of Managed Care*, used Merative MarketScan Commercial and Medicare Supplemental claims data to examine prescribing patterns in adults. The authors said semaglutide use expanded while prescriptions for older GLP-1 drugs including dulaglutide, liraglutide and exenatide declined. AJMC said the increase was tied in part to the drugs’ weight-loss effectiveness. ### What did the AJMC study actually examine? The AJMC paper analyzed GLP-1 receptor agonist prescribing from 2018 through 2023 in adults age 18 and older with at least 12 months of continuous enrollment, according to the journal’s abstract. The authors grouped patients by diabetes and overweight or obesity diagnoses and compared semaglutide with other GLP-1 receptor agonists. (ajmc.com) Maria Ukhanova, Joseph S. Wozny, Chau N. Truong, Lopita Ghosh and Trudy M. Krause were listed as authors. The paper said it was a retrospective, population-based observational study using the Merative MarketScan Commercial Database and the Merative MarketScan Medicare Supplemental Database. (ajmc.com) ### How much did semaglutide’s share increase? UTHealth Houston, which summarized the study in September 2025, said semaglutide accounted for 5% of GLP-1 users in 2018 and 63% in 2023. The school said that increase included use of Ozempic, which is approved for diabetes, and Wegovy, which is approved for weight loss. (ajmc.com) The AJMC abstract said semaglutide approved for weight loss reached a 60% share in the nondiabetic overweight or obese group by 2023. The same abstract said prescribing of dulaglutide, liraglutide and exenatide declined over the study period. ### Which patients were driving the shift? (sph.uth.edu) UTHealth said prescribing patterns differed between diabetic and nondiabetic patients. Among diabetic patients, Ozempic prescriptions increased tenfold, while nondiabetic groups saw a significant increase in Wegovy prescribing, according to the university’s summary of the authors’ findings. (ajmc.com) The study also found notable growth in prescribing among nondiabetic patients with overweight or obesity. AJMC said trends showed a rise in prescriptions for nondiabetic and obese or overweight patients, and the authors said fewer than 9% of users without a diabetes indication received a diabetes or prediabetes diagnosis within 30 days after starting a GLP-1 drug. (sph.uth.edu) ### Why are researchers and payers watching this so closely? Blue Health Intelligence said in a May 2024 issue brief that adoption of GLP-1 prescribing for weight management had been exponential. The brief also said the average monthly list price for semaglutide was more than $1,000 and that many patients discontinued therapy early. (ajmc.com) AJMC said barriers to broader use include high costs and limited insurance coverage. The journal said managed care decision-makers should assess the impact of the prescribing trend on affordability and budget planning. ### Do more recent data show the trend continuing into 2026? (bcbs.com) Truveta Research reported on April 20, 2026, that nearly 8% of all prescriptions in March 2026 were for GLP-1 receptor agonists. The company said that represented the largest quarter-over-quarter percentage-point increase in overall GLP-1 prescribing since its study period began in 2019. (ajmc.com) Truveta also said first-time anti-obesity medication prescribing increased 21.7% from December 2025 to March 2026, while first-time anti-obesity semaglutide prescribing increased by more than 50%. The company said its monitoring report will continue to update prescribing and dispensing trends using data through and after March 31, 2026. (truveta.com)