Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro could very well have become the most in-demand weight loss drugs of the past two years as press coverage and social media gains help push these new drugs as the new “miracle treatment” for weight management.

A February analysis by Jefferies puts sales of GLP-1 anti-obesity drugs at over $100 billion by 2031.

But for now, most of these drugs continue to officially address the diabetes market, which could create problems for the patients who need them most.

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GLP-1 drugs in a nutshell

Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus are all different brand names of the drug semaglutide, which was first approved by the FDA in 2019 to treat type 2 diabetes.

In people with diabetes, Semaglutide works by mimicking the action of GLP-1, a hormone that is naturally absent in the body of people with type 2 diabetes, the most common form of diabetes.

As GLP-1 drugs become more popular among people trying to lose weight, patients with type 2 diabetes have reported a deficiency in the drug, preventing them from receiving treatment, according to a CNBC report.

By binding to the same receptors as GLP-1, semaglutide and other drugs in the same category can slow digestion, stop the liver from making too much sugar, and tell the pancreas to produce more insulin, which lowers blood sugar levels.

GLP-1 is released by the body in response to food. This means that drugs like semaglutide in high doses can signal the brain to stop being hungry, making it the perfect weight management drug for both those in dire need of it due to diagnosed obesity and those trying to control their hunger weight for aesthetic reasons.

Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy and Rybelsus: how do they differ?

Wegovy, an injectable version of semaglutide, is currently the only FDA-approved weight loss brand…