GLP-1 drugs have been celebrated for their effects in adults, but their role in pediatrics remains contentious. In a new opinion piece, NYU transplant surgeon and obesity specialist Babak J. Orandi argues that early data suggest these therapies can help teens whose childhood obesity may eventually lead to organ failure.
Orandi points to a striking trend: prescriptions for GLP-1s in children between 8 and 11 have increased more than 300-fold since 2019. Yet no drug in this class is approved to treat obesity in children under 12. He argues that this number needs to increase, not decrease, to address the long-term consequences of severe childhood obesity.
The piece frames the issue as a matter of prevention. By intervening earlier, Orandi suggests, clinicians could reduce the risk of organ failure and other complications later in life, even as regulators and insurers lag behind the growing off-label use.