The use of GLP-1 drugs, which is already exerting a significant impact on the US food and beverage market, is set to rise sharply around the world in 2026. Semaglutide, the active ingredient in drugs like Ozempic, goes off-patent in much of the world that year. This means that millions of people are going to change how they eat and drink in the coming years, with significant impacts on the food and drink industry.
Usage will rise, though not to the extent that many expect
Currently, the only significant barrier that is slowing adoption is cost, both to individual users and to healthcare systems. The loss of patent protections, the development of cheaper pill formats, and a focus on the previously discovered health benefits of semaglutide, like prevention of kidney and heart disease – which will encourage more coverage from governments and insurers – all point to the cost barrier weakening significantly in the near future. There are, however, those who are convinced that negative side effects will be discovered in the future and this will reverse usage patterns; these consumers are unlikely to be swayed by price changes.
The article is property of Euromonitor International, a data analytics company, and you can find it here.
