Wegovy is the first injection officially released to treat obesity | Photo: Reproduction
Wegovy, the first weekly injection for the treatment of obesity approved by Anvisa (National Health Surveillance Agency), will reach pharmacies in the country in the second half of this year. The manufacturer Novo Nordisk confirmed the launch of the product this Thursday (25), but there is no set date yet.
The medicine will cost up to R$2,484 in states where the ICMS (Tax on Circulation of Goods and Services) is 21%, such as Piauí. In São Paulo the drug should reach R$2,383, since the state’s tax rate is 18%.
The values were defined by CMED (Chamber of Medicines Market Regulation) last year. According to Novo Nordisk, however, “they may not be the prices found by patients at points of sale when the products reach the market.”
The previous forecast indicated that the drug, approved in January 2023, would be available in the second half of that year, but the pharmaceutical company feared that the same shortage problem faced in the United States would occur in Brazil.
In the North American country, high demand caused interruption of patient treatment. Considered a chronic disease, obesity requires continuous treatment.
The obesity medication is based on semaglutide, the same compound used in Ozempic, an injectable medicine for treating type 2 diabetes that became popular after testimonials on social media indicated weight loss in a short time.
Semaglutide, the active ingredient in the medicines, is an analogue of the hormone GLP-1 and, in this way, manages to reduce the amount of sugar in the blood and informs the user’s brain that they are already satisfied and not hungry.
Clinical studies presented to Anvisa for authorization of Wegovy showed an average reduction of 17.4% in body weight in patients after around 24 months of continuous use. Around 4,500 people of different nationalities participated in the work.
Ozempic, in turn, promoted an average loss of 15% in patients with diabetes after 18 months of use.
The medications have different purposes, but both are recommended for adults over 18 years of age. Despite the same active ingredient, only Wegovy is approved for use against obesity and overweight in the country.
(Geovana Oliveira / Folhapress)
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Tags: Wegovy arrive Brazilian pharmacies
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