SWITZERLAND — The World Health Organization (WHO) will consider adding liraglutide, the active ingredient in certain diabetes and obesity medications, to its list of essential medicines during its next meeting in April.

Must-have medications named by the agency already include painkillers, antibiotics like penicillin, and drugs for treating HIV and heart disease.

This list is updated every two years and comprises medicines that meet the priority health needs of the population and are intended to be available at all times in adequate amounts, appropriate dosage forms, assured quality, and affordable prices.

The list serves as a guide for the development and updating of national and institutional essential medicine lists to support the procurement and supply of medicines in the public sector, medicines reimbursement schemes, medicine donations, and local medicine production.

The request to add GLP-1 receptor agonists such as liraglutide to the list came from four researchers at US institutions, including Yale University and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

These drugs mimic the effects of GLP-1 hormone and stimulate insulin release, which lowers blood sugar and slows food passage through the gut.

While liraglutide was initially developed to treat diabetes, it was approved in the US as a weight-loss treatment in 2014.

Its more potent version, semaglutide, was approved for diabetes in 2017 and as an obesity treatment in 2021.

The latter use of semaglutide has become well-known thanks to promotions from celebrities and on social media. It is sold under the name Ozempic for diabetes and Wegovy for weight loss.

Studies suggest that semaglutide may help people lose an average of 10% to 15% of their starting weight, which is significantly more than with other medications.

However, because of this high demand, some versions of the medication have been in shortage in the US since the middle of last year.

The US patent on liraglutide is set to expire this year, and drugmaker Novo Nordisk says generic versions could be available in June 2024.

The company has not been involved in the application to WHO, it said in a statement, but “we welcome the WHO review and look forward to the readout and decision.”

People who live with overweight or obesity accumulate excessive fat, which presents a risk to their long-term health. Obesity is a global problem that is increasing everywhere.

According to Francesco Branca, Director of the WHO Department of Nutrition for Health and Development, the WHO says that more than 650 million adults worldwide are obese.

More than 4 million people die every year from the consequences of obesity, such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

The most affected regions are North America, Europe, and the Middle East. Once considered a problem only in high-income countries, obesity is now dramatically on the rise in low and middle-income countries as well, particularly in urban settings.

Including an obesity medicine on the WHO’s list of essential medicines could help reduce the burden of obesity.

However, some health experts are skeptical about considering obesity drugs as essential. Some obesity medicines have potential side effects, such as inflammation of the pancreas, gallbladder problems, or increased heart rate. Additionally, there is a lack of long-term safety and effectiveness data.

“These drugs have actually been developed for the treatment of diabetes. The use for obesity is a relatively new application,” explained WHO Director Branca.

“It will be important to see what the long-term consequences are because these drugs need to be used for life. Otherwise, there will be a reversal of the weight loss.”

Obesity is also a complex condition that cannot be cured with medicines only. Health experts say that medicines are only one aspect of treatment options among non-medicinal approaches, such as improved nutritional habits, exercise, and psychological support.

“Lifestyle interventions are absolutely key for the management of obesity,” said Branca.

“Preventive strategies and sustained efforts at education, gender-focused interventions, must take precedence over the use of obesity drugs,” said Zulfiqar Bhutta, an obesity expert at the University of Toronto in a Reuters report.

For all the latest healthcare industry news from Africa and the World, subscribe to our NEWSLETTER, and YouTube Channel, follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn, and like us on Facebook.