More than $38 billion was spent in the U.S. on Ozempic and Wegovy (semaglutide) in 2023 — a 100% uptick from 2022 expenditure data, according to research published April 24 in the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy.
Tirzepatide, the active pharmaceutical ingredient for Mounjaro and Zepbound, increased in popularity by 373% in one year. These four medications are all glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists; and Zepbound is also a glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide.
GLP-1s, which are approved for Type 2 diabetes, weight loss and cardiovascular problems, are part of a booming industry. The manufacturer of Ozempic and Mounjaro, Novo Nordisk, recently became and has remained Europe's most valuable public company.
The research calculated healthcare drug expenditure among three factors: a drug's list price, newly approved drugs and utilization.
The top 25 drugs ranked by U.S. expenditure in 2023, according to the study:
1. Semaglutide — $38.6 billion (100.1% change from 2022)
2. Adalimumab — $35.3 billion (9.1% change)
3. Apixaban — $22.1 billion (17.1% change)
4. Dulaglutide — $16.3 billion (5.1% change)
5. Empagliflozin — $15.9 billion (34% change)
6. Ustekinumab — $15.9 billion (14% change)
7. Pembrolizumab — $15.4 billion (19.1% change)
8. Tirzepatide — $13.2 billion (373.1% change)
9. Bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide — $13.2 billion (14.2% change)
10. Dupilumab — $11.5 billion (44.9% change)
11. Risankizumab — $10.1 billion (106.3% change)
12. Etanercept — $9.5 billion (6.9% change)
13. Insulin glargine — $8.9 billion (-4.6% change)
14. Rivaroxaban — $8.3 billion (1.9% change)
15. Dapagliflozin — $7.9 billion (41.8% change)
16. Immune globulin — $6.3 billion (2.5% change)
17. Insulin aspart — $5.8 billion (-3.5% change)
18. Secukinumab — $5.7 billion (8.6% change)
19. Sitagliptin — $5.7 billion (-9.4% change)
20. Fluticasone/umeclidinium bromide/vilanterol — $5.7 billion (28.8% change)
21. Nivolumab — $5.4 billion (9.8% change)
22. Lisdexamfetamine — $5.4 billion (15% change)
23. Insulin lispro — $5.3 billion (-1.8% change)
24. Ixekizumab — $5.3 billion (16.1% change)
25. Ocrelizumab — $5.3 billion (11% change)