{"id":2990572,"date":"2023-10-23T14:27:30","date_gmt":"2023-10-23T18:27:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.futurity.org\/?p=2990572"},"modified":"2023-10-23T14:34:46","modified_gmt":"2023-10-23T18:34:46","slug":"weight-loss-drugs-glp-1-receptor-agonists-california-2990572-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.futurity.org\/weight-loss-drugs-glp-1-receptor-agonists-california-2990572-2\/","title":{"rendered":"California sees surge in use of weight loss drugs like Wegovy"},"content":{"rendered":"
In a first-of-its-kind study, researchers have discovered an extraordinary surge in the utilization of weight loss-associated GLP-1 receptor agonists that is poised to accelerate, based on emerging clinical evidence.<\/p>\n
These are a class of medications commonly used in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes and obesity. A GLP-1 agonist<\/a> is a drug that activates certain receptors in the brain and pancreas.<\/p>\n Findings recently published online in the Journal of the American Pharmacists Association<\/em><\/a> are based on a longitudinal cohort study of patients in the University of California Health Data Warehouse who were prescribed Adlyxin, Byetta, Mounjaro, Ozempic, Rybelsus, Saxenda, Victoza, Trulicity, or Wegovy GLP-1 products between 2014 and 2022.<\/p>\n The results demonstrated rapidly increased usage that’s expected to continue exponentially.<\/p>\n Understanding the impact of this substantial shift in utilization patterns is crucial for informed decision-making by health care providers, ensuring supply stability for patients who rely on these medications, and assessing the economics of the insurance companies that cover the cost of these drugs.<\/p>\n “Before now, there hasn’t been much information available on patient-level, longitudinal use patterns, and the recent FDA approval of GLP-1 RAs linked to substantial weight loss has generated great interest in demand projections,” says Jonathan Watanabe, lead author of the study and a professor of clinical pharmacy at the University of California, Irvine.<\/p>\n “The results from our study of a large, diverse, statewide health system population promise to reshape the conversation around weight loss-associated GLP-1 RAs, informing health care stakeholders, policymakers, legislators, providers, and patients alike.”<\/p>\n The study sample comprised 87,935 people, of whom 47.6% were white, 22.4% were Hispanic, 7.9% were Asian, and 5.7% were Black. The mean age was 59.2 years, and 55.5% were female. Growth rates were estimated according to log-linear regression model analysis.<\/p>\n