For the first time, drugs to treat obesity are being considered for the World Health Organizations "essential medicines list," which is used to direct government purchasing decisions in low- and middle-income nations.

Next month, a group of WHO advisors will review any new requests for medications to be included, and an updated list of essential medications is due in September. The panel will address the issues associated with Saxenda, an obesity medication from Novo Nordisk. According to the sources, saxenda and potential generics will be added to the list for adults if the WHO decides to do so, signaling a change in how the health organization views the problem of global obesity.

The sources revealed that this decision can pave the way for a newer, more powerful treatment from Novo Nordisk called Wegovy, which will be recommended for low- and middle-income countries in the future.

Several public health experts, however, advise against making such medications available to a large enough population as a treatment for a complex ailment that is still poorly understood. On the use of medications as therapies for obesity, Dr. Francesco Branca, director of nutrition for the WHO, stated at a news conference on Wednesday that the agency believes that the safety trials are a work in progress.

However, he added that there were still concerns about liraglutides price, and the fact that it had not been on the market for a long time can make inclusion on the list improbable, but it was up to the expert committee to examine the data and decide. The majority of obese and overweight people—70%—live in low- and middle-income countries, so including obesity drugs in the WHOs essential medicines can have great significance for that population.

The Danish pharmaceutical company stated in a statement that the company was not involved in the request asking the WHO to consider adding liraglutide to its list. But the drugmaker added that they welcome this decision and are anticipating the results and conclusion.

(Source: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/who-consider-adding-obesity-drugs-essential-medicines-list-2023-03-29/ )