GLP-1s and the Rise of Consumer-Led Pharma: What the Obesity Market Signals for the Future of Access
The rapid uptake of GLP-1 therapies for obesity is doing more than creating a commercial blockbuster: it is creating a new model of pharmaceutical access. Sales are expected to exceed $100 billion by 2030 with an impressive annual growth rate of 18%. Crucially, much of this growth is happening outside the bounds of traditional payer/publicly funded systems, in the US and Europe alike. [1,2] GLP-1s like OZEMPIC / WEGOVY (semaglutide) and MOUNJARO / ZEPBOUND (tirzepatide) are demonstrating what happens when demand is driven directly by the patient, and not the payer or provider. It is not only shaking things up for the pharmaceutical companies and their service partners, but is also challenging healthcare innovators and other health system actors on how healthcare could be delivered in the future. This evolution demands strategic rethinking on how to: Enable access Deliver continuity of care Embed preventative approaches Achieve long-term outcomes In this art...
