Researchers at Philadelphia-based Penn Medicine have found women who used GLP-1 medications were about 30% less likely to develop breast cancer than women who did not use the drugs.
Here are five notes:
- Researchers analyzed data from 111,646 women ages 45 to 80 with a body mass index of 25 or above who received breast imaging and had a documented outcome in Penn Medicine’s EHR between January 2022 and June 2025.
- Among the study population, 15,264 women (13.7%) had documented GLP-1 prescriptions, while 96,382 (86.3%) had no documented exposure to the medications.
- Researchers also evaluated a matched cohort of 30,528 women to reduce potential bias and confounding factors.
- The study found lower breast cancer incidence across both analyses, including 35.1% lower odds in the full cohort and 30.5% lower odds in the matched cohort.
- Researchers said the findings support further investigation into whether GLP-1 medications could play a role in breast cancer prevention. Penn Medicine is working to establish a multisite clinical trial to assess whether the drugs can reduce breast cancer incidence among women at high risk for the disease.
Becker’s 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit is the top tier event that the people leading the future of pharmacy convene. This 3-day event is built specifically for Chief Pharmacy Officers and senior pharmacy leaders. The sessions examine the workforce, financial and clinical priorities shaping pharmacy today. Becker’s is where candid discussions flourish and new ideas thrive. Becker's 3rd Annual Fall Chief Pharmacy Officer Summit
