WHO adds new generation of obesity drugs to list of essential medicines
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommended for the first time, this Friday (5), the new generation of treatments against diabetes and obesity, and called for the provision of cheaper generic versions for populations in developing countries.
The WHO added semaglutide – the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, from the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk –, dulaglutide and liraglutide, as well as tirzepatide to its list of essential medicines, which is updated every two years, according to a statement.
According to data from the organization, more than 3.7 million people died in 2021 from diseases related to being overweight or obese, and the number is greater than the combined number of victims of the main deadly infections – malaria, tuberculosis and HIV.
New treatments for diabetes and obesity enhance the action of a hormone that affects insulin secretion (GLP-1) and, more broadly, the feeling of satiety.
Initially developed against diabetes, they have shown remarkable results in aiding weight loss and are celebrated by experts as a significant advance, although with limitations.
Their very high prices, which in the United States can exceed one thousand dollars per month (5,369 reais), “limit access to these medicines,” notes the WHO, which fears that the most disadvantaged countries will be excluded.
To ensure access to these “life-saving” injectables, the agency calls for “encouraging generic drug competition to reduce prices.”
According to Andrew Hill, a researcher at the University of Liverpool, studies show that generic semaglutide could be produced on a large scale in India for just $4 per month (21 reais).
The semaglutide patent expires in 2026 in some countries, such as Canada, India and China, which could favor the production of generics.
In addition to diabetes and obesity, these medications can be beneficial in treating other conditions.
According to a study published this week in the journal JAMA, heart patients undergoing these treatments had a 40% lower risk of being hospitalized or dying prematurely.
More than a billion people worldwide suffer from obesity, and more than 800 million suffered from diabetes in 2022, the WHO highlighted.
The organization also added a number of cancer drugs to its list of essential medicines.
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