| Year | US adults on GLP 1 | YoY growth | Top brands |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | ~1.2M | +18% | Ozempic, Trulicity, Saxenda |
| 2021 | ~1.9M | +58% | Ozempic, Wegovy (launched June) |
| 2022 | ~3.1M | +63% | Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro (launched 12,) |
| 2023 | ~5.0M | +61% | Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, Zepbound (launched Nov) |
| 2024 | ~7.0M | +40% | All 4 brands, plus compounded variants |
| 2025 | ~9.5M | +36% | All 4 brands, compounded variants drop after FDA action |
| 2026 (projected) | ~12M | +26% | Mounjaro and Zepbound (tirzepatide) gaining share |
| 2028 (projected) | ~17M | +18% CAGR 2026-2028 | Pipeline includes oral semaglutide and triple agonists |
Approximately 1 in every 28 US adults was on a GLP-1 medication at the end of 2025. Projected 1 in 22 by end of 2026.
| Medication / Trial | Dose | Duration | Average weight loss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wegovy / STEP 1 (NEJM 2021) | 2.4 mg weekly | 68 weeks | 14.9% body weight |
| Wegovy / STEP 4 (JAMA 2021) | 2.4 mg weekly | 68 weeks (with stop at wk 20) | 17.4% continued vs 5.0% regain after stopping |
| Ozempic / SUSTAIN 7 (Lancet 2018) | 1.0 mg weekly | 40 weeks | 6.5 kg average |
| Zepbound / SURMOUNT 1 (NEJM 2022) | 15 mg weekly | 72 weeks | 20.9% body weight |
| Zepbound / SURMOUNT 1 10 mg arm | 10 mg weekly | 72 weeks | 19.5% body weight |
| Mounjaro / SURPASS 3 (Lancet 2021) | 15 mg weekly | 52 weeks (T2D patients) | 12.9 kg average |
Tirzepatide (Mounjaro and Zepbound) produces larger average weight loss than semaglutide (Ozempic and Wegovy) in head to head data and similarly dosed populations. Both classes produce 2x to 4x the weight loss of older GLP 1s like liraglutide (Saxenda).
| Side effect | Wegovy 2.4 mg (STEP 1) | Zepbound 15 mg (SURMOUNT 1) |
|---|---|---|
| Nausea | 44.2% | 39.0% |
| Diarrhea | 31.5% | 23.0% |
| Vomiting | 24.8% | 15.9% |
| Constipation | 23.4% | 17.1% |
| Discontinuation due to side effects | 7.0% | 6.2% |
Nausea is the most commonly reported side effect for both drug classes and is the primary driver of food choice changes on GLP-1 medications.
| Year | Novo Nordisk GLP-1 revenue | Eli Lilly GLP-1 revenue | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $9.5B | ~$0.5B (pre-Mounjaro) | $10.0B |
| 2022 | $16.4B | $483M (Mounjaro launched 12,) | $16.9B |
| 2023 | $24.0B | $5.2B | $29.2B |
| 2024 | $31.6B | $20.0B | $51.6B |
Combined GLP-1 revenue from the two major manufacturers grew from $10B in 2021 to over $50B in 2024. a 5x increase in 3 years. Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide brands (Mounjaro + Zepbound) grew from $483M to $20B in 2 years, the fastest pharmaceutical ramp in modern memory.
Prescription numbers from IQVIA (US drug utilization reports 2020-2024), Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly quarterly earnings calls. Clinical trial data from peer reviewed publications: STEP 1 (Wilding et al, NEJM 2021), STEP 4 (Rubino et al, JAMA 2021), SUSTAIN 7 (Pratley et al, Lancet 2018), SURMOUNT 1 (Jastreboff et al, NEJM 2022), SURPASS 3 (Ludvik et al, Lancet 2021). Side effect rates from FDA prescribing information for Wegovy and Zepbound. Demographics from KFF Health Tracking Poll 2024 and Trilliant Health 2024 GLP-1 report. Industry impact data from OpenTable, YipitData, and major CPG company quarterly reports. Pricing snapshot from manufacturer websites and GoodRx pricing data 12, 2026.
For journalists, researchers, and writers: cite as “MealFan, GLP-1 Statistics 2026, 12, 2026” with a link back to this page. All data tables are free to embed with attribution.
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