Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) – Next month, WHO advisers will consider whether to add liraglutide, an active ingredient in some diabetes and obesity drugs, to the list of essential medicines.
The WHO says the list, which is updated every two years, includes medicines “that meet the priority health needs of the population”.
The Expert Committee on the Selection and Use of Essential Medicines is scheduled to meet from April 24-28 to discuss reviews and updates on dozens of medicines.
The request to add GLP-1 agonists, such as liraglutide, came from four researchers at US institutions, including Yale University and Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
These drugs mimic the effects of the hormone GLP-1, which regulates appetite and stimulates insulin secretion. It helps lower blood sugar and slows the passage of food through the gut.
Liraglutide was developed to treat diabetes, but was approved in the United States as a weight loss treatment in 2014.
Semaglutide has been approved as a treatment for diabetes since 2017, and as a treatment for obesity in 2021.
And the use of the latter has become known thanks to promotions from celebrities and through social media.
It is sold under the names Ozempic for diabetes, and Wegovy for weight loss.
Studies indicate that Semaglutide may help people lose an average of 10% to 15% of their starting weight, much more than other medications.
But due to high demand, some copies of the drug have been in short supply in the United States since the middle of last year.
A US patent for liraglutide is set to expire this year, and drugmaker Novo Nordisk says generic versions may be available in June 2024.
She explained in a statement that the company was not involved in submitting the application to the World Health Organization, but that “we welcome the review by the World Health Organization and look forward to the statement and decision.”
“Currently, there are no drugs on the List of Essential Medicines that specifically target weight loss,” the researchers wrote in their request to the World Health Organization.
The researchers continued: “Currently the list includes mineral supplements for nutritional deficiencies, however, they have been prescribed to populations living in countries where overweight and obesity kill more people than underweight.”
WHO advisers will make recommendations on which medicines should be included in this year’s list, which is expected to be submitted in September.
