Looking ahead to exciting medical developments now that we are settled into the New Year, it’s clear that GLP-1’s are on the verge of exploding. Pharma companies have overcome last year’s shortages such that supply of the medications is stabilizing. GLP-1s are also showing considerable promise to help with lowering blood pressure, improving lipid disorders, fatty liver disease, and other conditions.
And I’m particularly encouraged by the emerging intersection of two related innovations: the incredible promise for weight loss drugs and artificial intelligence to play critical roles in helping humans become healthier. At CES 2025 in January, the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) ranked ‘Longevity’ among its five tech trends for 2025 and GLP-1s fall into that category alongside digital health technologies.
GLP-1s and AI: A Dynamic Duo for Improving the Health of Our Populations
AI, for its part, is already demonstrating effectiveness at health coaching for weight management — even delivering results similar to in-person lifestyle interventions to the benefit of both patients and clinicians.
At the same time, GLP-1s are expanding in the number of adults taking them as well as the range of conditions beyond weight loss and Type 2 diabetes that they might treat.
J.P. Morgan describes GLP-1s as both “a paradigm shift in the way obesity is treated” and “a life-and-death” class of drugs, and estimates that as many as 30 million Americans could be using GLP-1s by 2030. Additional research shows that nearly 40% of Gen Z are planning to use GLP-1s to attain 2025 health goals, and 89% of those surveyed say the side effects are worth the weight loss.
Keys to Longevity: Medications and Tech for Chronic Condition Management
But The medications alone are not necessarily enough to drive health improvements. Indeed, there is a growing healthcare segment advancing GLP-1 use with AI technologies that can help to drive behavior change and better manage weight and chronic conditions.
One of our clients, eMed, offers the Empathetic AI Population Health GLP-1 Program to treat obesity and related chronic conditions via a human touch platform with clinical oversight and 24/7 support. That’s just one example and Sage Growth Partners research shows that virtual health assistants are among the top use cases in place today, while healthcare C-suites are also investing in or exploring AI for health behavior modification.
So I’m optimistic that GLP-1s supported by appropriate programs and technologies including AI will positively impact the health of millions of Americans. Or, as the health economist Jane Sarasohn-Kahn wrote in a Health Populi piece, prove effective at “adding life to years and not just years to life.”
Curious about the four CTA tech trends other than longevity? Those are: shifting demographics, digital coexistence, human security, and community.
Looking Ahead: 2025 Conferences and Opportunities to Meet
Next on our itinerary: I’ll be at VivE 2025 in Nashville, Feb. 16-19 and back in Vegas for HIMSS 2025, Mar. 3-6, with Jennifer Walsh, SVP of Sales and Drew Whalen, SVP of Business Development.
Download our full research report, The New Healthcare C-Suite Agenda: 2024-2025, to learn more about top strategic considerations, where healthcare organizations are investing in technology to achieve those, current clinical and operational use cases for AI and where hospitals are exploring new ways to leverage AI, and more.
