GLP-1 and Biosimilars Trends, Impact on Payers and Costs | AMCP Annual 2025

Earlier this week at the 2025 AMCP annual meeting in Houston, Doug Long, BA, MBA, vice president of industry relations at IQVIA, shared key insights into the evolving landscape of GLP-1 prescriptions, biosimilars and retail pharmacy closures.

The GLP-1 market continues to see significant growth, now valued at $100 billion, according to Long.

These drugs, primarily used for diabetes, have also gained traction in weight management, with the weight-loss sector alone reaching $20 billion.

“We noticed that women are far more likely to use a weight loss drug than men,” Long noted.

The use of GLP-1s for type 1 diabetes is an area that remains to be explored, as well as the challenge of payer coverage, he added.

For example, Medicaid and Medicare provide limited coverage, creating financial barriers for many patients.

With 170 GLP-1s, Long noted, that are in the pipeline, the market shows no signs of slowing down.

Biosimilars have had mixed success depending on the therapeutic category.

In oncology and ophthalmology, they have gained a large market share, he said.

However, in the pharmaceutical benefits space, adoption has been slower until the arrival of a private-label biosimilar for Humira, which helped shift the market.

Although there is some promise in biosimilars lowering healthcare costs, Long expressed uncertainty about whether they will replicate the cost-saving impact of generics.

“Now there's about 128 biosimilars, biological products are going to be expiring the next 10 years, but only 12 are actively being pursued right now," he said. “So the challenge is, is that ‘will biosimilars play the same role as generics did of saving healthcare costs to offset innovation?’”

Because the biosimilar landscape continues to expand, Long remains uncertain about the industry's next moves, despite the popular focus on oncology and immunology options.

On the cost-saving front, IQVIA data suggested that biosimilars are fulfilling their purpose in oncology and supportive care, as well as in rheumatoid arthritis.

However, Long said the ultimate test remains in the pharmaceutical benefits space, where uptake has been slower.

While some areas have seen great penetration, others are still lagging behind.

One of the more pressing concerns Long shared was the ongoing crisis in retail pharmacy closures.

With the shutdown of 2,700 pharmacies in the past few years, the burden on remaining pharmacists has increased, he said.

In turn, this trend affects patient access to medications and overall healthcare delivery.

These closures stem from pharmacies struggling with reimbursement, which has increased workloads for those still in operation.