Many adults with type 2 diabetes who pause GLP-1 medications such as semaglutide (Ozempic) later resume treatment, according to research scheduled for presentation at ENDO 2026 in Chicago.
Researchers analyzed U.S. insurance claims data covering more than 60,000 adults ages 18 to 64 with type 2 diabetes and a body mass index of at least 25 who started liraglutide (Victoza), semaglutide (Ozempic) or tirzepatide (Mounjaro). The analysis used Komodo Health claims from January 2019 through June 2025 and defined discontinuation as a gap of more than 60 days between prescription refills.
The researchers reported that about 4 in 10 patients discontinued a GLP-1 medication within the first year, and nearly 6 in 10 had stopped by the end of two years.
Many of those who discontinued later resumed therapy. The study found that 41.5% of patients who stopped reinitiated treatment within a year, and 58% restarted within two years—suggesting that use is often intermittent rather than a one-time decision to abandon treatment.
Treatment persistence differed by medication and clinical context. People taking newer agents such as tirzepatide were less likely to discontinue than those taking older drugs such as liraglutide, and semaglutide users also showed lower discontinuation than liraglutide users. Patients whose first GLP-1 prescription came from an endocrinologist were less likely to stop.
The analysis also found higher discontinuation among patients covered by Medicaid or Medicare, Black patients, and those who experienced nausea or other gastrointestinal side effects.
The findings were scheduled to be presented Sunday, June 14, 2026, at ENDO 2026, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in Chicago.
