WHO Considers Adding Obesity Drug As Essential Medicines

[RAMROD 87,044]

A new obesity drug may go on the WHO's list of recommended essential medicines, enabling help for millions worldwide, but some health experts are skeptical.

Every two years, advisers to the WHO discuss which medicines should be added to the list.

"Anyone can submit suggestions: academic institutions, pharmaceutical companies and individuals — it's completely open," Huttner told DW.

For the 2023 update, researchers in the US have suggested adding an obesity drug called Saxenda to the list. It's a daily injection that affects hunger signals to the brain and slows the rate at which a person's stomach empties, making them feel fuller for longer.

Saxenda is a prescription medication which contains the active ingredient liraglutide. The substance will soon be free patent restrictions, allowing for cheaper generic versions to be developed. 

It would be the first obesity medicine on the WHO's list of essential medicines.

People who live with overweight or obesity accumulate excessive fat, presenting a risk to their long-term health.

A body mass index (BMI) over 30 is considered obese.

"Obesity is a global problem that is basically increasing everywhere," said 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. 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.

But 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. Also, 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 which 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 a key for the management of obesity," said Branca.
 

Not every medicine is the same. Some can ease symptoms but have severe side effects. Others are safe, cure serious medical conditions and improve lives. The World Health Organization (WHO) gathers the most important drugs on its Model List of Essential Medicines.

The list is a recommendation for health systems worldwide and contains nearly 600 different medicines such as anesthesia, antiviral drugs or treatments for pain and fever.

"The medicines on the list are defined as the priority health needs of a population. They need to be safe, effective, available and affordable at all times," said Benedikt Huttner, Team Lead for Essential Medicines at the WHO.

The goal is to ensure that medicines are used as wisely as possible and to improve medical care worldwide.

"Our essential medicines list is a template for countries to base their own national list on," said Huttner. 

More than 150 countries worldwide have already done that — low and middle income countries rely on the WHO recommendations.
 

https://www.dw.com/en/who-may-add-saxenda-obesity-drug-to-essential-medicines/a-65181430

 

 

Edited April 2 by RAMROD

[Squidward T 1,596]

These drugs kill the pancreas and liver, someone I know took a drug that had that ingredient and suffered severe pancreatitis.  Youre honestly better off getting gastric surgery. 

[faysalaaa1 466]

53 minutes ago, Squidward T said:

These drugs kill the pancreas and liver, someone I know took a drug that had that ingredient and suffered severe pancreatitis.  Youre honestly better off getting gastric surgery. 

But the risk is so low its 0.3%, and other versions of the medication the risk is even lower.

Surgery side effects are scary, many people die from it, and alot get internal bleeding. Not to mention your body will never absorb nutrition from food anymore, you will have to live on medications for the rest of your life which also have side effects. Hair and skin starts getting worse because of all that too.

[catsounds 9,486]

1 hour ago, Squidward T said:

These drugs kill the pancreas and liver, someone I know took a drug that had that ingredient and suffered severe pancreatitis.  Youre honestly better off getting gastric surgery. 

That same risk comes from pretty much every anti depressant and countless other perscription drug

[SamanthaC 88,142]

Adding these GLP-1s to this list would be great so people can have access. I wish people would recognize that obese people aren’t just that way because they are lazy. These medications aren’t a short cut, they just help your body do what “thin” people’s bodies do. 

[CatelynnMarie 3,271]

1 hour ago, SamanthaC said:

Adding these GLP-1s to this list would be great so people can have access. I wish people would recognize that obese people aren’t just that way because they are lazy. These medications aren’t a short cut, they just help your body do what “thin” people’s bodies do. 

THIS. i'm so infuriated and tired of the stigma against overweight/ obese people. a majority of us have "invisible illnesses" and aren't lazy and/ or consistently just shoving food into our faces. 

[Noah 24,568]

5 hours ago, SamanthaC said:

Adding these GLP-1s to this list would be great so people can have access. I wish people would recognize that obese people aren’t just that way because they are lazy. These medications aren’t a short cut, they just help your body do what “thin” people’s bodies do. 

Sadly, these people never had to struggle with weight or think their physique is what is to be desired. I got bullied a lot for being overweight in school, wether that was by students, teachers or even doctors, who told me at age 12 that I’ll be fat forever and just talked about my weight when I was there because I had a cold. I hope that Obesity as an issue, gets taken far more serious and this is luckily a step in the right direction

[SamanthaC 88,142]

6 hours ago, Noah said:

Sadly, these people never had to struggle with weight or think their physique is what is to be desired. I got bullied a lot for being overweight in school, wether that was by students, teachers or even doctors, who told me at age 12 that I’ll be fat forever and just talked about my weight when I was there because I had a cold. I hope that Obesity as an issue, gets taken far more serious and this is luckily a step in the right direction

I think overall the medical community is headed in the right direction. There is lots of research out now about obesity and how to treat it. Some people aren't really listening, but it seems like a lot are. It has taken me awhile to find doctors that don't just look at me and say lose weight. I know I'm overweight and if I could just snap my fingers and fix that I would.