Overview
- An Oxford-led BMJ meta-analysis of 37 studies found patients regained about 0.4 kilograms (0.9 pounds) per month after discontinuation, with weight and cardiometabolic risk markers projected to return to baseline in under two years.
- Large real-world studies report high dropout rates within a year—about 47% for people with Type 2 diabetes, nearly 65% without diabetes, and roughly 60% of older adults on semaglutide—driven by gastrointestinal side effects, cost, coverage limits and access issues.
- Use continues to expand as Novo Nordisk’s once-daily Wegovy pill became available in the U.S. in January 2026, and GLP-1s accounted for more than 7% of all U.S. prescriptions by December 2025, according to Truveta Research.
- Next-generation options are advancing, including triple-agonists like Eli Lilly’s retatrutide reporting around 29% weight loss in company trials and investigational monthly or fortnightly injections and amylin combinations in late-stage testing.
- Clinicians highlight counseling needs for women of reproductive age after reports from India of unexpected pregnancies during treatment, and they caution that GLP-1 medications are not recommended in pregnancy.