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Weight-loss jab could be made for $3 a month, study finds (www.theguardian.com)
submitted 8 months ago by to c/health@lemmy.world
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Cheap semaglutide, the drug in Ozempic and Wegovy, could help millions with diabetes and obesity in 160 countries

Weight-loss jabs such as Wegovy and Ozempic could be made for just $3 a month, according to new analysis, potentially making the treatment available to millions in poorer countries as patents expire.

More than a billion people live with obesity worldwide, with rates rising fast in lower-income nations as they shift to westernised diets and more sedentary lifestyles.

The World Health Organization designated semaglutide – sold to treat obesity under the brand name Wegovy, and diabetes under the brand name Ozempic – as an essential medicine in September last year.

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[–] 10 points 8 months ago (4 children)

This is how longevity treatments will work too, first companies make them by pouring billions into research (and more), trying to get that cash back, but in the end it's just some simple combination of molecules that costs close to nothing.

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  • [–] 6 points 8 months ago (1 child)

    I'm moderately okay with this system. If it's important, the government will bear much of the cost for me anyway and once it's been out for a while, it's going to be cheap as a generic unless it's something niche.

    Would be nice if it was cheap or free immediately, but we'd need to overhaul much of the economic system for that. Which we should do anyway of course

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