Over the past month, studies have shown Zepbound leads to more weight loss than Wegovy, and GLP-1 drugs may lower obesity-related cancer risk better than bariatric surgery.
Here are eight quick updates on the medication class:
1. The percentage of U.S. adults with a GLP-1 prescription increased from 0.9% in 2019 to 4% in 2024 — a relative increase of 363.7%. The finding was part of a Fair Health analysis of more than 51 billion commercial claim records.
2. GLP-1s may reduce the risk of developing obesity-related cancers by 41% compared to bariatric surgeries, according to a study published May 11 in The Lancet’s eClinicalMedicine journal.
3. In a head-to-head trial, Eli Lilly’s weight loss drug Zepbound led to more weight loss than Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy. At the end of the 72-week study, patients taking Zepbound lost an average 20.2% of their body weight, compared to 13.7% for patients taking Wegovy.
4. The FDA’s decision to remove Eli Lilly’s GLP-1 medications from its national drug shortage list was reaffirmed by a federal judge in early May. Numerous compounding pharmacies, which were allowed to manufacture copies of the drugs while they were in shortage, filed a lawsuit arguing against the decision before withdrawing the appeal in late April.
5. In a blow to Eli Lilly’s Zepbound, CVS Caremark chose Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy as the preferred GLP-1 weight loss medication for its largest commercial template formularies. A CVS spokesperson said the company secured a lower net price for Wegovy compared to Zepbound. The change is effective July 1.
6. In late April, Novo Nordisk partnered with telehealth companies Hims & Hers, Ro and LifeMD to sell cheaper versions of its weight loss GLP-1, Wegovy, in an effort to expand access.
7. If Medicare covered obesity medications, including GLP-1s, healthcare expenditures would increase by $47.7 billion over the next decade, according to a microsimulation model published in JAMA Health Forum. CMS recently declined to cover GLP-1 medications for obesity in 2026 but left the possibility open for future consideration.
8. Following President Donald Trump’s initiatives to increase domestic production, Eli Lilly said it plans to manufacture its experimental GLP-1 weight loss pill, orforglipron, in the U.S. The move is part of a broader $27 billion commitment to build four U.S. drug manufacturing sites. The company expects results from the drug’s phase 3 trial by late 2025 to early 2026.
