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Brazil's SUS delays rollout of GLP‑1 weight‑loss drugs
Brazil's public health system (SUS) has not incorporated GLP‑1 agonist weight‑loss pens, such as semaglutide and liraglutide, into its obesity treatment portfolio. The Ministry of Health says obesity affects 25.7% of Brazilian adults in 2024, up from 11.8% in 2006, and the system currently offers only bariatric surgery, which has long waiting lists.
The National Commission for Incorporation of Technologies in SUS (Conitec) rejected requests to adopt these medicines last year, citing an estimated budget impact of more than R$ 8 billion. Patent expiry of semaglutide in March 2024 and the upcoming expiry of liraglutide’s patent at the end of 2024 could enable cheaper domestic production. Consequently, the Ministry has asked the National Health Surveillance Agency (Anvisa) to prioritize registration of GLP‑1‑based drugs, and Anvisa has received 18 registration applications.
The Ministry continues to list obesity as a priority, but high drug costs remain a barrier to public adoption.
Entities
Agência Nacional de Vigilância Sanitária (Anvisa) · Comissão Nacional de Incorporação de Tecnologias no SUS (Conitec) · Ministry of Health (Brazil) · Novo Nordisk · Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS)