GLP-1 therapies continue to reshape chronic disease treatment, triggering regulatory updates, new clinical findings and intensifying competition across the pharmaceutical market.
Here are three trends driving the drug class forward:
1. Regulatory momentum accelerates
On Jan. 13, the FDA directed drugmakers to remove suicidal ideation warnings from three GLP-1s — Saxenda, Wegovy and Zepbound — after reviewing 91 clinical trials and a retrospective cohort of 2.2 million patients. The agency found no elevated risk of psychiatric events, including among patients with obesity or Type 2 diabetes.
Meanwhile, the FDA and HHS cracked down on compounded GLP-1 pills. Telehealth firm Hims & Hers launched a compounded version of Novo Nordisk’s oral Wegovy Feb. 5, but reversed course two days later following legal threats from Novo Nordisk and a Justice Department referral. The FDA said it will restrict marketing of compounded GLP-1s as similar alternatives to approved drugs.
2. Oral GLP-1s drive growth — and legal risk
Novo Nordisk’s once-daily oral Wegovy could be the fastest pharmaceutical launch in U.S. history. IQVIA data show 26,100 prescriptions were written in the drug’s third week on the market, a 42% increase from the prior week. Healthcare investment banker Leerink Partners called it “the fastest drug launch ever.”
The rapid uptake comes amid escalating tensions between brand-name manufacturers and companies marketing compounded versions. In 2025, compounded GLP-1s made up nearly 30% of the U.S. market, prompting lawsuits and tighter FDA oversight. The next disruption could arrive in March, when the FDA is expected to decide on Eli Lilly’s competing oral GLP-1, orforglipron.
3. Evidence and adoption trends shift
A Jan. 20 study published in Annals of Internal Medicine found bariatric surgery outperformed GLP-1s in reducing A1C and weight among patients with Type 2 diabetes, regardless of social vulnerability. As GLP-1 prescriptions increased 132.6% between 2022 and 2023, bariatric surgery volumes declined 25.6%. Vizient projects an additional 15% decline in surgery volumes by 2034.
Prescribing trends are also shifting. In 2025, more than 500,000 clinicians wrote GLP-1 prescriptions, led by endocrinologists. Cardiologists and pediatricians were among the slowest adopters, according to IQVIA.
A separate cohort study of 550,000 patients, published Feb. 9 and conducted by George Washington University, found GLP-1 users had higher odds of nonscarring hair loss — including telogen effluvium and androgenetic alopecia — compared to matched controls. The risk appeared independent of weight loss and other clinical variables.
