GLP-1 Boom: One in Eight U.S. Adults Now Taking Drugs, Driving Manufacturing and Consumer Shifts

The GLP-1 receptor agonist market is expanding rapidly: one in eight American adults is now taking a GLP-1, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll, and the number of people without type 2 diabetes prescribed the drugs reportedly increased 700% between 2019 and 2023. The surge is fueling new investments in manufacturing and workforce training, while reshaping consumer food demand.

Ireland’s NIBRT has set up a training course to meet rising demand for engineers with GLP-1 receptor agonist manufacturing skills. The course covers biosynthetic and chemical production routes for peptide-based therapies, as well as quality, regulatory, and supply chain considerations. NIBRT’s director of bioprocess training said the course was prompted by predictions of substantial worldwide growth for GLP-1 receptor agonists over the next decade: “These medicines have evolved quickly from niche drugs to treat diabetes when first launched to, now, blockbuster status for addressing type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular health.” Ireland’s role in production was underlined in March when Novo Nordisk said it would make an oral version of Wegovy at its campus in Athlone, County Westmeath, building on manufacturing sites such as Lilly’s campus in Kinsale.

Manufacturing GLP-1 receptor agonists is a complex undertaking involving synthetic chemistry and protein expression. The largest class of approved treatments globally are peptide-based GLP-1 receptor agonists, in which the active target peptide is chemically synthesized, coupled to a long chain fatty acid, and purified using chromatographic and filtration operations before formulation and filling. Some products use recombinant technologies, expressing the active peptide in yeast or mammalian cells. Developers have also advanced oral peptide- and non-peptide-based GLP-1 receptor agonists, notably Eli Lilly’s Foundayo. Most GLP-1 analogues approved to date are administered by injection and use fill-and-finish platforms similar to other biologic medicines. With the upsurge in manufacturing demand, more facilities are expected to be constructed by innovator companies and contract manufacturing organizations, requiring new personnel and repurposed sites. Automation is already fundamental to commercial production, and AI adoption is expected to grow in process optimization, continuous manufacturing, and quality monitoring.

The market is dominated by Danish Novo Nordisk and American Eli Lilly & Co., which have overcome significant legal hurdles. Eli Lilly’s stock performance has recently soared above Novo Nordisk’s, a success largely attributed to better clinical results, including greater weight loss. Lilly has poured billions into manufacturing, with nearly three-quarters of its 2025 revenue coming from diabetes treatments. Lobbying spending rose sharply in 2025, with Lilly’s lobbying reaching over $10 million and Novo Nordisk’s over $7 million. More than half of Novo Nordisk’s revenue comes from North America. In 2026, Novo Nordisk has spent about $3.4 million on lobbying for issues such as Inflation Reduction Act implementation, patent protection, and Most Favored Nation drug pricing, while Lilly has spent nearly $6 million on IP protection and market access within trade negotiations. Both companies have made donations to Republican candidates who support patent and intellectual property protection and oppose drug-capping policies in the Inflation Reduction Act. With patents set to expire, research into biosimilars, and new oral medications, J.P. Morgan estimates the industry will reach $200 billion by 2030, and the number of consumers could more than double.

GLP-1 is a hormone produced naturally in the gut, brain, and pancreas; the drugs are synthetic versions that stimulate the pancreas to release insulin only when blood sugar is high. Originally approved for diabetes, they were found in trials to produce weight loss. They also appear to protect heart health independent of weight loss, are protective of kidneys and livers, and are the subject of ongoing research into dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as effects on addiction and desire.

A Fair Health white paper on insurance claims data found that about 4 percent of adult patients, roughly 11 million people, have been prescribed GLP-1 drugs, and the share of patients with an overweight or obesity diagnosis receiving a prescription has surged 587 percent since 2019. Wegmans analysts anticipate the number of users could reach 24 million by 2035. According to Wegmans, 36 percent of GLP-1 use is for weight loss alone, 17 percent for diabetes and weight loss, and 41 percent for diabetes only; a Kaiser Family Foundation poll found four in 10 people with a prescription use it solely for weight loss. The popularity of the drugs is spiking interest in nutrient-rich foods, as side effects include dehydration and muscle loss. A Wegmans vice president said protein offsets muscle loss, along with smaller portions and fiber, leading to less sugar, high-fat, and high-calorie options.