Brazil's SUS Begins Semaglutide Trial and Opens First Smart ICU

The Ministry of Health has launched a two‑year pilot study of the GLP‑1 drug semaglutide in 250 severely obese patients awaiting bariatric surgery at the Grupo Hospitalar Conceição in Porto Alegre. Coordinating endocrinologist Katia Souto explained that participants, with an average BMI of 54, will be monitored for weight loss, metabolic improvements and surgical outcomes, with the aim of demonstrating clinical and economic benefits that could justify broader public‑health use after the drug’s patent expires.

On Saturday, health minister Alexandre Padilha inaugurated Brazil’s first "smart" intensive‑care unit at the Hospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho in Rio de Janeiro. The unit is the initial site of the National Network of Smart ICUs, featuring artificial‑intelligence risk prediction, 5G‑enabled ambulance telemetry, robotic surgery and precision‑medicine tools. With an investment of more than R$180 million, the pilot will connect 60 ICU beds across seven hospitals, with plans to expand to 280 beds in 14 ICUs nationwide.