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Item refines Preprint · not peer-reviewed Added

GLP-1 receptor agonists' share of US prescriptions rose 7% from June to September 2026

Anti-obesity GLP-1 prescribing rose 12.2% in mid-2026, with the largest monthly rise in July, when a Medicare cost-cutting programme began.

This descriptive analysis covers trends in US prescribing of GLP-1 receptor agonists, including dual GLP-1/GIP drugs. It used Truveta electronic health records covering 4,458,532 patients and 23,616,330 prescriptions from January 2019 to September 2026. From June to September 2026, GLP-1 prescriptions as a proportion of all prescriptions rose by 7.0% in relative terms. Anti-obesity prescribing rose 12.2%, mostly from June to July, driven by tirzepatide (+16.9%). That jump coincided with the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge Program, which from 1 July cut out-of-pocket costs for anti-obesity GLP-1 drugs. The design is descriptive, so it cannot attribute the rise to the programme.

Why it is interesting: It reports GLP-1 prescribing month by month as Medicare access for weight management changes. Where indication was known, anti-diabetic use made up 62.6% of first prescriptions, while anti-obesity tirzepatide drove recent growth.

Source
medRxiv, 28 October 2026
Paper
Monitoring Report: GLP-1 RA Prescribing Trends - September 2026 Data
Authors
Gratzl S, Farrar KG, Holler E, Holler E, Vachon MS, Masters NB et al.
DOI
10.1101/2025.03.06.25323524
Type
Preprint
Design
Descriptive serial monitoring of real-world EHR prescribing and dispensing (Truveta, >18% of US daily clinical care), 4,458,532 patients and 23,616,330 prescriptions, Jan 2019–Sep 2026
Verdict
Refines prior evidence
Driver
Obesity, diabetes and GLP-1
Attention
12 citations (Crossref) · as of 2026-11-01

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