Brazil's Health Ministry Launches Semaglutide Pilot for Obesity Treatment in SUS

The Ministry of Health, led by Minister Alexandre Padilha, announced the start of a two‑year pilot using semaglutide, a GLP‑1 agonist commonly called a "weight‑loss pen," for patients in Brazil's public health system (SUS). The program began at the Grupo Hospitalar Conceição in Rio Grande do Sul and will involve 250 patients with severe obesity or obesity‑related comorbidities, many of whom are candidates for bariatric surgery.

The study, named Real‑Bari, will track weight loss, quality of life, clinical test results, post‑surgical outcomes and the cost of treatment to evaluate whether the drug can be safely and affordably integrated into SUS. While the medication is not yet incorporated into the public system, the pilot aims to generate data for future decisions by the National Commission for Incorporation of Technologies (Conitec). The ministry noted that annual cost estimates for semaglutide and similar GLP‑1 drugs could reach about R$ 8 billion.