Use of weight loss and diabetes drugs like Ozempic has skyrocketed in Mass.

The number of Massachusetts residents prescribed a relatively new class of drugs used for diabetes and weight management has increased sevenfold over five years, at a staggering cost, according to a new report from the state Health Policy Commission.

Research released by the commission Thursday shows that in 2023, 3.2% of commercially insured state residents were prescribed a type of drug knowns as a Glucogan-like peptide-1 agonist, or GLP-1 agonist. The drugs mimic a hormone that regulates several bodily functions, including appetite. They include medications with the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy, and a related class includes Mounjaro.

The drugs are prescribed for conditions such as type 2 diabetes and obesity, and patients typically self-inject weekly or daily.

In Massachusetts, spending on the drugs by commercial insurers and patients was projected to climb to $270 million last year, more than doubling from 2022. Total spending on the drugs in 2022 was nearly $125 million, the study said.

National data suggests net sales of the drugs in the U.S. totaled $5.9 billion in the second quarter of 2023. The average cost of the medications in the U.S. is $1,000 per month, much higher than in other countries. The study found the monthly price of Ozempic ranged from $83 in France to $147 in Canada

When federal regulators approved the use of GLP-1 agonist drugs for weight management, they said the drugs would help treat obesity, which can contribute to other health problems such as heart disease and stroke.

Citing information from the Congressional Budget Office, the Health Policy Commission study said there is no empirical evidence yet that directly links the use of GLP-1 agonist medications to reductions in other health care spending. David Seltz, the commission's executive director, said the study raises important questions about how to pay for expensive new medications.

"How are we going to balance short-term affordability with the potential long-term benefits of some of these new drugs and treatments?" Seltz said. "These are incredibly difficult and complex questions, but we can not avoid them as we move forward in health policy."

The research analyzed insurance claims data for commercially insured patients, so it excluded spending by patients who may be getting the drugs elsewhere or paying for them out of pocket.

The study also found that in the first nine months of 2023, almost two-thirds of prescriptions  for GLP-1 agonist drugs had the active ingredient semaglutide, which is used in Ozempic and Wegovy. In 2023, there were more than 300,000 GLP-1 agonist prescriptions among commercially-insured members in Massachusetts.