---
description: GLP-1s represent a 63-70 billion dollar market growing to 250-315 billion by 2035 but weight regain after discontinuation means lifelong use and oral formulations at 149 dollars per month will expand the addressable population faster than prices decline
type: claim
domain: health
created: 2026-02-17
source: "Grand View Research GLP-1 market analysis 2025; CNBC Lilly/Novo earnings reports; PMC weight regain meta-analyses 2025; KFF Medicare GLP-1 cost modeling; Epic Research discontinuation data"
confidence: likely
---

# GLP-1 receptor agonists are the largest therapeutic category launch in pharmaceutical history but their chronic use model makes the net cost impact inflationary through 2035

The GLP-1 receptor agonist market reached $63-70 billion in 2025, with Eli Lilly's Mounjaro/Zepbound generating over $36 billion and Novo Nordisk's semaglutide products contributing another $48.9 billion. The market is projected to reach $250-315 billion by 2035 at 12.8-17.5% CAGR.

The oral GLP-1 breakthrough (FDA-approved oral Wegovy at $149/month vs. ~$1,350/month injectable) is a market-reshaping event that removes the injection barrier limiting adoption. Next-generation compounds (amycretin showing 22% weight loss without plateau, orforglipron as non-peptide small molecule) will further expand the addressable population. Approximately 11.8% of US adults reported GLP-1 use in 2025, more than double the 5.8% in February 2024. US obesity prevalence declined to 37% from 39.9% -- the first decline in recent years.

But the economics are structurally inflationary. Meta-analyses show patients regain an average of 9.69 kg after stopping, with all weight loss reversed after 1.7 years. Discontinuation rates are high: 46.5% of diabetic patients and 64.8% of non-diabetic patients quit within one year. This means GLP-1s for obesity are chronic, possibly lifelong medication. Medicare modeling projects drug costs rising from $11.3 billion in 2026 to $65.9 billion by 2035, with downstream savings (-$18.2 billion by year 10) never catching up to spending. Net spending increases across the entire 30-year horizon. Only 13 state Medicaid programs covered GLP-1s for obesity as of January 2026.

The competitive dynamics (Lilly vs. Novo vs. generics post-2031) will drive prices down, but volume growth more than offsets price compression. GLP-1s will be the single largest driver of pharmaceutical spending growth globally through 2035.

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Relevant Notes:
- [[the healthcare cost curve bends up through 2035 because new curative and screening capabilities create more treatable conditions faster than prices decline]] -- GLP-1s are the largest single contributor to the inflationary cost trajectory
- [[value-based care transitions stall at the payment boundary because 60 percent of payments touch value metrics but only 14 percent bear full risk]] -- VBC's promise of bending the cost curve faces GLP-1 spending as a direct counterforce
- [[continuous health monitoring is converging on a multi-layer sensor stack of ambient wearables periodic patches and environmental sensors processed through AI middleware]] -- biometric monitoring could identify GLP-1 candidates earlier and track metabolic response

Topics:
- health and wellness
