Healthcare industry bitching about lost revenue thanks to glp-1s

quote:

---

A new report by Wells Fargo spotlights how GLP-1 weight-loss drugs are reshaping the healthcare industry by addressing obesity.

Wells Fargo released a report Thursday which notes that much of the American healthcare system has been structured around obesity, given it has become a foundational condition in the country with 40.3% of adults considered obese and 9.4% severely obese.

Usage of GLP-1 drugs surged in recent years, rising over 140% from 2022 to 2024, which had a significant impact on hospital services aimed at treating obesity. In that same timeframe, bariatric surgery volumes fell 34.1%.

"GLP-1s may be marketed as weight-loss drugs, but they're rapidly becoming one of the most disruptive economic forces in healthcare," John Teasley, market executive for Wells Fargo Healthcare Banking, told FOX Business. "We're seeing a medication class with the potential to reshape how providers generate revenue, where investors allocate capital, and how consumers engage with their health."

The report said that the healthcare system and hospitals in particular are having to adapt to a changing landscape caused by the rise of GLP-1 semaglutide drugs, as obesity patients who previously would've undergone surgery after attempting to diet now have a pharmaceutical alternative that is "visible, reversible,

---

quote:

---

GLP-1s may also have an impact on cardiology, with a trial showing that their use reduced major cardiovascular events by 20% in overweight or obese adults without diabetes. If that trend prevails at scale, hospitals would see fewer procedures, repeat admissions, complications and other downstream interventions – leading to a sizable reduction in demand for those services.

---