“The use of weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy will significantly impact public health outcomes by 2036.”

This study quantifies the mortality impact of limited access to novel and highly effective weight-loss medications in the United States. Specifically, we project that with expanded access, over 42,000 deaths could be averted annually, including more than 11,000 deaths among people with type 2 diabetes. These findings underscore the urgent need to address barriers to access and highlight the transformative public health impact that could be achieved by expanding access to these novel treatments.

Two new KFF analyses examine the potential impact of Medicare coverage of new prescription drugs for obesity and Alzheimer's disease on Medicare costs, coverage, and beneficiaries.

In this population, treatment with semaglutide 2.4 mg could prevent more than 1.9 million CV events (16% relative risk reduction) and 1.2 million deaths (16% relative risk reduction) during the next 10 years.

Compared to placebo, GLP1RAs reduced cardiovascular risk factors, microvascular complications (including renal events, RR 0.85, 0.80–0.90), macrovascular complications (including stroke, RR 0.86, 0.78–0.95), and mortality (RR 0.89, 0.84–0.94). Increased gastrointestinal events causing treatment discontinuation were observed in both comparisons.

However, because efficacy and safety data have mainly come from clinical trials, long-term effects on weight loss, treatment adherence, and side effects require long-term and real-world evaluation. Increasing demands and drug costs also drive the production of compounded versions (copycat drugs), which have escalated for GLP-1 receptor agonists, with products without quality and safety evaluation.

Three major reviews commissioned by the World Health Organization find that GLP-1 drugs including tirzepatide (sold as Mounjaro and Zepbound), semaglutide (Ozempic and Wegovy), and liraglutide (Victoza and Saxenda) can lead to substantial weight loss in people with obesity. But while the results are impressive, researchers caution that most trials were funded by drugmakers, long term safety data are still limited, and side effects such as nausea are common. "We need more data on the long-term effects and other outcomes related to cardiovascular health, particularly in lower-risk individuals," says Eva Madrid, co-lead researcher from the Universidad de Valparaíso, Chile.

There is also hope that these drugs will have a positive impact on national health services like the HSE, as a fall in obesity could reduce instances of many other conditions – including cancer, heart disease, arthritis and diabetes. Really, it will take some time – possibly even decades – before it is possible to fully appraise their impact. GLP-1 drugs have been blamed for sugar prices falling to a five year low – as well as a slump in sales at Ben & Jerry’s (though this may well be caused by a number of issues).

Improved access to anti-obesity medications can improve health, reduce pressure on the NHS, and deliver significant productivity and ... There is even evidence that the drugs are having an impact at population level. Obesity rates in the United States stalled for the first time in decades in 2024, which is thought to have been an effect of the drugs.

Morgan Stanley Research now estimates the global market for obesity drugs could reach $150 billion at its peak in 2035, an increase from a previous forecast of $105 billion. The potential benefits of obesity drugs in the treatment of other diseases, including cardiovascular outcomes, renal disease, and sleep apnea, as well as investigational areas like cancer and Alzheimer's, are some of the growth drivers for the market.

Studies show patients on Wegovy lose as much as 15% of their body weight over time.

The price of these injections is steep: They cost about US$800-$1,000 per month, and if used for weight loss alone, they are not covered by most insurance policies... patents for semaglutide – the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy... don’t expire until 2033.

When Americans begin taking appetite-suppressing drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, the changes extend well beyond the bathroom scale.

Given the proven cardiovascular benefits of Ozempic and Wegovy when used for diabetes or obesity, and the disproportionate burden of diabetes and obesity in Black/Latinx Medicaid and Part D populations, these findings suggest that their lower use in Medicaid and Part D may worsen disparities in diabetes and obesity outcomes.

Although clinical results have generally been favorable for GLP-1 RAs, there has been less discussion about their cost-effectiveness, particularly for payers in the U.S. health system. However, given an annual list price for Tirzepatide and Semaglutide respectively of $10,000 and $13,500 before discounts and rebates, these levels of savings are unlikely to provide a positive return on investment for most patients.

The WHO has added GLP-1 agonists to its Essential Medicines List in 2025. benefits on body weight and adiposity, heart, and kidney outcomes in high-risk type 2 diabetes.

Yet despite the increase in popularity of these medications, obesity continues to sharply increase across the US, with the prevalence exceeding 40% in 2023 compared to 35% in 2022. And the impacts continue to be felt unequally. Suffice to say, Ozempic and Wegovy are not the silver bullets we hoped they'd be, especially for the patient populations most at need, according to Na Shen, MD, endocrinologist for UCLA Health.

Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Zepbound can drive impressive weight loss, but stopping them is often followed by rapid weight regain. 'This evidence suggests that despite their success in achieving initial weight loss, these drugs alone may not be sufficient for long term weight control,' the researchers write.

Projections from health organizations like WHO and CDC indicate that sustained use of GLP-1 drugs like semaglutide could reduce obesity-related mortality by 20-40% by 2035 if access improves, though adherence and side effects remain challenges.