How GLP-1s, Wegovy, Zepbound are reshaping the economy

Miracle drugs, obesity treatments and skinny jabs. Tell them what to want, a small number of drugs had a more transformative effect on Wall Street and Beller than GLP-1s for the last decade.

Glucagon-like peptide-like peptide (GLP-1) receptor agonists, known under the brand of Wegovy and Zepbound, are a class of drugs used to treat type 2 diabetes and obesity by mimicking hormones produced in the intestine to suppress a person’s appetite and regulate blood sugar.

Since Wegovy first received the US approval for the first time to treat obesity in 2021, Zepbound, drugs, brought long -term solutions to tens of millions of patients and charged the growth of the relevant parent companies. Novo Nordisk And Hand Lilly.

Obesity is an important risk factor in most of the leading causes of death. New applications and competitors – as drugs appear, Wall Street bets for the developing industry, and predictions show that by 2030 to $ 100 billion.

Medical Affairs President Sophie Dix in Medexpress, the potential new applications of drugs are “unexpected and promising”, psoriasis, asthma, chronic kidney disease, fatty liver disease, obstructive sleep apnea, politicty oval syndrome (PCOS), obesity -related cancers are Alzheimer disease, Alzhememer disease, Alzheimer’s disease said.

Experts say that the extensive areas of applications can have potentially comprehensive effects for both health results and economy.

The current cost of drugs is large, the US List prices vary between one month Lily’s Zepbound or Novo’s Wegovy’s $ 1,349.02 $ 1,349.02. Estimates from the Jama Health Forum show that the scope of US Medicare GLP-1s will increase net expenditures within the scope of the retirement health program. 47.7 billion dollars Alone in the next 10 years.

However, the expected health and economic consequences are also important. Bad health, loss clocks, premature death and informal care, including obesity and obesity -related diseases, are significantly heavy on health systems and general efficiency.

According to the 2024 report, Goldman Sachs estimates that the US Gross Domestic Production (GDP) can increase by 0.4% through increasing productivity and health saving, assuming the fact that GLP-1s are fundamentally adopted. Estimated 2% of adults -The 5 million people-May 2025, the GLP-1s were receiving the GLP-1 from Fair Health, which did not make any profit.

Goldman Sachs analysts in the report, “Bad health, health consequences will be reduced if healing important economic costs.” “Academic studies find that obese individuals are less productive both when they work and when they do.”

Meanwhile, in Denmark, the market value of Wegovy-Macer Novo Nordisk reflects the entire GDP of its country in 2024 and the country’s large and growing weight loss pharmaceutical industry continues to have a major contribution to the economy.

Therefore, the perceived potential of GLP-1s in the treatment of obesity and in diabetes, as well as in other health conditions-a new age of drug innovation, and Dix describes the possible effect as “deep” for both future drug development and new employment.

Farma Giants Including Astrazeneca– Pfizer– Roche And while Zealand pharmma already develops rival obesity treatments, many of them develop with metabolic and cardiometabolic disease research and as an introduction point.

“It is also important to keep in mind that the first class of the class is rarely the best of the class. Monitoring drugs can be more powerful, more selective, and I guess that there are side effects ironed or controlled by combination therapies. As a result, I guess that efficiency, tolerability (less side effects) and convenience.” He said.

Considering the comprehensive adoption of weight loss drugs, especially richer, the optional spending tendency among many finances, it has great effects on consumer expenditure models.

“These consumers, who have the highest probability of using drugs, are those responsible for too much consumption,” Singapore Management University Assistant Assistant Assistant Economy Associate Professor. He said.

In a not surprising way, the most visible effect is on the food and beverage industry. 2024 Cornell University survey found that households with at least one GLP-1 users reduced grocery expenditures by 5.3% in six months and increased to 8.2% among high-income households.

According to the updated findings as of August 2025, those who stayed in drugs for six to 12 months continued to reduce their expenditures.

Chips, cookies and bakery products, such as processed snack foods saw the biggest interruptions of expenditures, but many basic categories were reduced. Only humble increases were recorded in healthier substances such as yogurt and fresh fruit.

At the University of Cornell, Professor of Marketing and Applied Economics, Juraukonyte, told CNBC via e -mail, “the pattern ‘better’ foods and only to buy less food is less.” He said.

This may have a broader effects for fast -moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies and food manufacturers. Really, some companies Nest And Danone They have already started to start new lines for diversity of product base and ready to change trends. These include high -protein dishes, smaller portions and foods aimed at encouraging muscle retention.

The effect of drugs can also pass food. GLP-1S control appetite Targeting the award path of the brainAnd especially the release of dopamine to the brain’s motivation, pleasure and reward. Therefore, early studies recommend practices for drugs in the treatment of addiction.

“This modulation of the brain’s reward system extends beyond foods, early evidence shows alcohol abuse, drug addiction and even gambling benefits.” He said.

This expressed the concerns of recreational stimuli such as alcohol and tobacco for producers. Cornell’s study did not indicate a potential decrease in the intensity of drinking attacks, reflecting the other literature, reflecting the other literature.

Spirits Dev and Johnnie Walker-Macer Diageo At the beginning of this month, the GLP-1s “heard a close eye”, but the impact of this moment is not “important”, he said.

In other places, the results for other sectors seem to be comprehensive. Analysts have saved fuel for airlines, including changes in retail expenditures, including greater active clothing sales, and lighter passengers. While gyms and personal trainers can also see demand, holiday resorts benefit from new opportunities to appeal to more active and health -oriented visitors.

Restaurants, from fast-food chains to luxury restaurants, are calculated with a new view of consumer and potentially reduce future demand.

“In the short term, these drugs reduce expenditures in fast-food and fast service restaurants in the short term. At the national level, this is already turning into billions of dollars in decreases.” He said.

“But the long -term picture is much less precise. The final effect is not consistently and how long it stays on drugs and we don’t know yet.”

For all the possible economic consequences of GLP-1s, questions about the social effects of a drug with such a visible physical marker.

Although the treatment has spread rapidly in a short year, accessibility continues to be limited even in developed countries, and many national health systems restrict comprehensive access to patients with excessive obesity and associated health conditions. In the meantime, the pseudonym has increased among paid customers who are willing to make forks personally for drugs.

“We know that health has great social determinants and that obesity is higher in lower income areas,” Dix, which appreciates the adoption of drugs, but often burns the presentations of “grieving slowly”. He said.

“This creates the risk of a two -layer society in which only those who can meet him can reach the drugs that change this life.”

Drug producers already entered somehow To reduce prices with this tendency, which will continue to change policy changes, including President Donald Trump’s US drug pricing or increasing market competition. Nevertheless, with the long -term use of drugs set to weigh on the public and personal bag wires, analysts warn that policy makers should pay attention to making further worse socioeconomic divisions.