Prescriptions for GLP-1 class weight-loss medications among children under 12 in the United States have expanded dramatically since 2019, according to a study published on Friday. Researchers found that among children aged eight to 11 with obesity but not diabetes, use of these medications rose from 0.03% in 2019 to 9.3% as of June.
The study examined a cohort of more than 3.5 million children in the specified age range. During the period covered by the research, 20,282 children in that group received GLP-1 drugs. The most commonly prescribed product was Novo Nordisk's Wegovy, but clinicians also wrote prescriptions for Novo Nordisk's Saxenda and Eli Lilly's Zepbound.
Although GLP-1 drugs are not approved for children younger than 12 years, clinical guidance permits their use for obesity in select cases beginning at age eight. The study authors reported that 94% of the children who were prescribed GLP-1 medications met criteria for severe obesity. Roughly 65% had at least one obesity-related comorbidity documented in their records, such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or sleep apnea.
Lead investigator Dr. Babak Orandi, an obesity medicine specialist at NYU Langone Health, said the findings show a rapid acceleration in the use of GLP-1s among this young age group. He emphasized the need for continued monitoring to ensure that these therapies remain safe and effective over the long term.
"Long-term safety monitoring is needed to ensure the drugs remain safe and effective," the lead investigator said.
The analysis also identified disparities in prescribing patterns. Children living in higher-income communities were 55% more likely to be prescribed GLP-1 medications than those in lower-income areas, the researchers reported, suggesting differences in access to these treatments.
Co-author Allan Massie, an associate professor of surgery at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, called attention to the responsibility shared by physicians and health policymakers to broaden access. In his remarks, he urged steps to prevent these potentially valuable, and sometimes costly, treatments from being available only to children who have health insurance and can access pediatric clinics.
"Physicians and health policymakers alike have a responsibility to ensure ... these valuable and sometimes costly treatments become available to more than those who have access to health insurance and can afford to visit pediatric clinics," the co-author said.
To assemble the dataset, researchers used Epic Cosmos, a national electronic health records database that contains information on more than 300 million U.S. patients. The study notes that Epic had no role in conducting the research.
While absolute numbers of children under 12 receiving GLP-1 therapy remain low relative to the size of the population studied, the investigators highlighted the speed of the increase and called for careful follow-up studies and monitoring to track outcomes and safety over time.
Methodological note: The study population was limited to children aged eight to 11 with obesity and without diabetes, and the findings reflect prescribing patterns within that defined cohort during the study period.