The Economic Implications of GLP-1 Therapies

Cambridge, MA — March 4, 2027

GLP-1 drugs have shown considerable effectiveness for weight loss as well as for treating a variety of chronic diseases, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This has led to substantial demand for these treatments, but because of their expense, pricing and access have been controversial. Different insurers have adopted different policies with regard to coverage, and in some cases, there have been changes over time. Data on use and outcomes are only now becoming available on the scale economics research requires.

With the support of the NIH, the NBER Center for Aging and Health Research will convene a research conference in Cambridge, MA on Thursday, March 4, 2027 to explore economic aspects of the availability of GLP-1 therapies, including both the factors affecting demand and supply, as well as the implications of these therapies for health care spending and for health insurance markets. The meeting will be organized by NBER affiliates John Cawley (Syracuse University), Maria Polyakova (Stanford University), and Kosali Simon (Indiana University).

The organizers welcome submissions on a wide range of topics related to economic implications of GLP-1s, including but not limited to: 

  • The effect of GLP-1s on the prevalence of chronic disease
  • The impact of GLP-1s on health care costs, including both the costs of treating specific diseases such as obesity and diabetes and the costs saved by avoiding the need for treatment in some cases
  • The impacts of Medicaid and Medicare coverage of GLP-1s
  • The budgetary implications of public health insurance coverage of GLP-1s
  • How entry of new GLP-1 suppliers affects prices of incumbents
  • The determinants of GLP-1 demand and the ways potential users of GLP-1s respond to variation in price
  • Impact of generic entry where GLP-1 patents have expired
  • Pharmaceutical company R&D on GLP-1s
  • Changes in individual socio-economic outcomes as a result of weight loss and other effects of GLP-1s
  • Effects of GLP-1s, through an impact on population health, on economy-wide productivity, labor markets, and social outcomes

The organizers welcome submissions by scholars who are early in their careers, who are not NBER affiliates, from all sub-fields of economics, and from researchers in other related disciplines who are studying economic issues. Completed papers, as well as work in progress that could be presented in a short paper session, are welcome. For the latter, submitting an extended abstract describing the question, data, and empirical approach is sufficient. Please do not submit papers that have been published or that have been accepted for publication and will be published by the conference date. Authors should be aware that research papers presented at NBER meetings may not make policy recommendations. 

To be considered, papers and extended abstracts must be submitted by 11:59pm ET on Tuesday, December 15, 2026 via the following link:

Submit papers

The NBER will cover economy class travel and hotel expenses for up to two authors per paper, subject to NBER travel regulations and federal grant requirements.

Please share this call with others who may be interested in submitting a paper. Logistical questions about this meeting should be directed to confer@nber.org; other questions, to Sarah Holmes Berk at sholmes@nber.org.