GLP1s and Osteoarthritis

The research continues to roll in on the benefits of GLP1 Receptor Agonists.

A study recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine examined the link between weight loss (as enabled by GLP1s) and Osteoarthritis, and solidified what common sense might have suggested to the average person:

https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2403664

A "significant" improvement in weight loss and more importantly a reduction in pain from osteoarthritis.

How many people suffer from Osteoarthritis?

The Osteoarthritis Action Alliance expects that people suffering from Osteoarthritis will grow over the years – from over 60 million people (roughly 20% of the united states) to over 85 million by 2o4o:

OA Prevalence and Burden - Osteoarthritis Action Alliance

Osteoarthritis is common and increasing in prevalence, resulting in enormous personal and societal costs. Additional Resources: Learn more about the burden of OA to employers and working adults Arthritis is a serious health crisis. CDC estimates that 1 in … Read more

Osteoarthritis Action Alliance

With GLP1s starting to point to a solution for a growing segment of Americans and people from other countries similarly, the demand on GLP1s is sure to grow.

New tension for GLP1s and Health Insurance

One of the greatest effects of this research is likely to be an increase in successful issuance of GLP1 prescriptions covered under traditional health insurance due to it's affect on Osteoarthritis.

With 60 million people currently suffering from Osteoarthritis, many of them who are well read or simply looking for an alternate way to be prescribed GLP1s are likely to talk to their primary care physicians and insurers in order to get the new drugs.

The cost of GLP1s has often been a point of discussion around the country and the world – with non-insured pricing still hovering around $1000 USD.

With the revelation that GLP1 can have positive effects on Osteoarthritis, health insurers who have previously tried to avoid covering GLP1s are likely to have fewer and fewer reasons to deny coverage.

Could new Osteoarthritis demand crush GLP1 supply?

The supplies of GLP1s like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound and others are already strained. So much so that these drugs are in shortage (with the exception of Mounjaro and Zepbound which has been recent news).

Though the supplies of GLP1s are strained, there are new GLP1s coming to market – new pharmaceutical companies attempting to cash in on the increased demand, and it's likely that supply will trend upwards instead of downwards.

One example of this is Viking Pharmaceuticals, which we recently covered:

Viking Therapeutic’s new GLP1 produces oustanding results

At ObesityWeek 2024, Viking Therapeutic showed study results on their new drug VK2735 -- 8% body weight loss at 28 days, in the highest dose.

GLP1 GuideGLP1.Guide Staff

While we can't be absolutely sure that other GLP1s will have the same effect as those studied, that outcome is likely, given that the effect (significant weight loss) is the same for many people.