Ann Intern Med

Tirzepatide approval dramatically shifted prescribing patterns for diabetes, weight management

April 24, 2025

Study details: This population-based cohort study analyzed trends in the utilization of glucose-lowering medications (GLMs) and weight-lowering medications (WLMs) using insurance claims data from a large U.S. commercial database between January 2021 and December 2023. The study included adults with T2DM and those without diabetes who were prescribed GLMs and WLMs.

Results: Following the approval of tirzepatide, its use among adults with T2DM increased to 12.3% of all GLM dispensations by December 2023. Similar increases were observed for SGLT-2 inhibitors (14.5% to 24.4%) and GLP-1 receptor agonists (19.5% to 28.5%), while the use of other GLMs, including metformin, declined. Among adults without diabetes but prescribed WLMs, tirzepatide dispensations rose sharply from 0.0% to 40.6%, and semaglutide (2.4 mg) increased from 0.0% to 32.2%, with semaglutide (2.0 mg) being the most frequently dispensed WLM (37.8% to 45.7%). Similar trends were noted among incident users.

Clinical impact: The rapid uptake of tirzepatide highlights its significant impact on the prescribing landscape for both GLMs and WLMs.

Source:

Ostrominski JW, et al. (2025, April 15). Ann Intern Med. Trends in Utilization of Glucose- and Weight-Lowering Medications After Tirzepatide Approval in the United States: A Population-Based Cohort Study. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40228298/