Report published August 26, 2026
UBS Longevity Weekly Pulse #70: GLP-1 Prescription Volumes Gain Momentum
Source and citation context
- Issuer
- UBS
- Report date
- August 26, 2026
- Analysis as of
- August 26, 2026
Authors / editors: Eric Potoker, Diana Na, Thomas Parmentier
Finvaulta summarizes UBS's analysis. Attribute opinions, forecasts, time-sensitive values, and chronology to the issuer and report date; do not treat this page as an independent verification or a current market-data source.
The launch of the Medicare Bridge program on 1 July has accelerated anti-obesity GLP-1 prescription growth, with starter doses for Zepbound and Wegovy surging over 20% MoM in July. UBS remains constructive on the obesity drug market, which is tracking at an annualized USD 95bn run-rate with significant long-term growth potential.
Key Takeaways
- 1.The launch of the Medicare Bridge program on 1 July is a key inflection point, potentially providing GLP-1 access to up to 20 million additional US seniors through 31 December 2027.
- 2.Early prescription data showed a surge in starter doses in July, with Eli Lilly's Zepbound up ~22% and Novo Nordisk's Wegovy up ~24% MoM.
- 3.Global GLP-1 sales are tracking at an annualized run-rate of approximately USD 95bn across obesity and diabetes, with long-term penetration of eligible populations remaining low.
Table of Contents
- Thoughts of the week
- Charts of the week
- Risk Table
- 12 month CIO selection changes history
- Appendix
- Required Disclosures
- Equity selection system
- Global asset class preferences definitions
- Current CIO GWM Americas global rating distribution
- Current UBS CIO global rating distribution (as of last month-end)
- Risk information
Report data
Fig. 1: Weekly GLP-1 starter doses — as of August 26, 2026.
| Metric | Estimate | Context |
|---|---|---|
| Global GLP-1 Annualized Sales | 95.0 USD billion | Tracking across diabetes and obesity indications globally |
| Zepbound starter dose prescription growth | 22.0% | Month-over-month increase following Medicare Bridge launch compared with 1% increase in June |
| Wegovy starter dose prescription growth | 24.0% | Month-over-month increase following Medicare Bridge launch compared with a 2% decline in June |
| Potential Medicare Bridge eligible US seniors | 20.0 million | Number of additional US seniors who could access obesity therapies via Medicare Bridge |
Reports in this series
Longevity Weekly Pulse is shown in chronological order through this edition, published on August 26, 2026.
Part of the Longevity Weekly Pulse series — view all 9 editions
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Authors / Editors
Reported Data Context
- Global GLP-1 Annualized Sales: 95.0 USD billion (2026-H2) · Source: Company data, UBS
- Zepbound starter dose prescription growth: 22.0 % (2026-07) · Source: IQVIA
- Wegovy starter dose prescription growth: 24.0 % (2026-07) · Source: IQVIA
- Potential Medicare Bridge eligible US seniors: 20.0 million (2026–2027) · Source: Novo Nordisk
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