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Tirzepatide Dispensations Increased Rapidly After Approval

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on April 15, 2025.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, April 15, 2025 -- After approval, tirzepatide dispensations increased markedly among adults with type 2 diabetes prescribed glucose-lowering medications (GLMs) and among adults without diabetes prescribed weight-lowering medications (WLMs), according to a study published online April 15 in the Annals of Internal Medicine.

John W. Ostrominski, M.D., from Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, and colleagues describe trends in insurance claims for GLMs and WLMs after tirzepatide approval in a population-based cohort study using claims data from a large U.S. commercial database from January 2021 to December 2023.

The researchers found that among adults with T2D prescribed GLMs, there was a marked increase in tirzepatide dispensations, reaching 12.3 percent of all GLM dispensations by December 2023. For sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists, similar patterns were seen (14.5 to 24.4 percent and 19.5 to 28.5 percent, respectively). There was a decline in dispensations of other GLMs, including metformin. Sharp increases were seen in dispensations of tirzepatide (0.0 to 40.6 percent) and semaglutide (2.4 mg; 0.0 to 32.2 percent) among adults without diabetes but prescribed WLMs; the most frequently dispensed WLM was semaglutide (2.0 mg), increasing from 37.8 to 45.7 percent. Decreases were seen in other WML dispensations. Among incident users, observed trends were similar. Compared with initial postapproval periods for other medications, tirzepatide uptake was more rapid and sustained.

"These findings highlight the rapidly shifting landscape of GLM and WLM use in the United States," the authors write.

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Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

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Posted April 2025

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