The World Health Organisation has, for the first time, recommended the global use of powerful weight-loss drugs while urging drug makers to allow cheaper generic versions so that people in developing countries can benefit.
The medicines, known as GLP-1 agonists, include popular brands like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro. They have become famous for helping patients lose a lot of weight, but their high prices mean many in poorer countries cannot afford them.
In a statement on Friday, WHO added semaglutide, the key ingredient in Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy, and liraglutide from Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro, to its list of essential medicines for adults.
“These are life-saving drugs, and we encourage generic competition to drive down prices,” the organisation said.
WHO data shows more than 3.7 million people died in 2021 from illnesses linked to being overweight or obese — more than deaths from malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV combined.
The cost of GLP-1 drugs can be over \$1,000 per month in the United States, but researchers say they can be made for far less. Andrew Hill, a pharmacology researcher at Liverpool University, said: “Generic semaglutide could be produced in India for as little as \$4 a month. What we’re asking is for Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly to do the responsible thing and make their treatments available on a worldwide scale at an affordable, generic price.”
WHO noted that the patent for semaglutide will expire in some countries, including India, Canada, and China, next year, which could open the door to wider generic production.
Originally designed for diabetes, GLP-1 drugs are now being studied for other conditions such as addiction and heart disease. A recent study in the JAMA medical journal found that heart patients on the drugs had over a 40 percent lower risk of being hospitalised or dying early.
WHO also added several cancer drugs to its updated essential medicines list, as obesity, diabetes, and related health challenges continue to grow worldwide.
