Ironically, Denmark’s economic growth in the first half of the year was driven almost entirely by Denmark’s outstanding performance Novo Nordisk, a Danish pharmaceutical company. The company’s increasingly popular drug, Wegovy, addresses a different type of enlargement: the human waistline.
This week it became the most valuable company in Europe. Its stock value has quadrupled since 2018. The drug was approved by the United States two years ago and was given a limited launch by Britain’s National Health Service on Monday. The fanfare behind the takeoff shot is understandable. It has enormous potential to increase public well-being and reduce healthcare costs.
The obesity it is a chronic disease. The prevalence has almost tripled since 1975. According to the World Health Organization, more than a billion people worldwide are obese, and by 2035 that number is expected to nearly double. A sedentary lifestyle combined with the increasing availability of cheap processed foods means this is a problem for the rich and the developing world. Overweight and obesity is the fifth leading risk of death worldwide and leads to a higher prevalence of comorbidities such as diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers and more severe Covid symptoms. The associated social stigma can also lead to mental illness.
The effectiveness of weight loss drugs like Wegovy highlights the work of pharmaceutical scientists. The injection suppresses appetite and slows the movement of food through the intestines. In clinical studies, those taking semaglutide, the chemical used in Wegovy, lost 15 percent of their body weight.
The financial dividends will be enormous. Investors will focus on the projected market value of $200 billion over the next decade, but the potential to ease the pressure on government budgets will be greater.
The World Federation of Obesity The economic cost of overweight and obesity is projected to reach 3 percent of annual global gross domestic product by 2035, in line with the impact of Covid in 2020. This includes the impact on healthcare spending and reduced productivity in the workplace. and early retirement or death.
Despite the benefits, there are risks, such as not fully understanding the long-term implications and that it will be expensive initially. Private patients in the UK are expected to pay up to £300 a month. As more companies enter the market and patents expire, prices will drop. In the meantime, governments must guarantee subsidized access to those who need it most.
Medications should be viewed as an adjunct to, and not a substitute for, more comprehensive weight-loss measures. Study users often regain weight after stopping treatment.
As use of these drugs becomes more widespread, information campaigns on poor diet, exercise and abuse, as well as informative food labeling and access to gyms will be crucial. For the most disadvantaged who don’t have access to superfood diets or gyms, this will matter more. Wider access to effective weight-loss drugs will be a boon to global well-being, but it should not open the door to less healthy habits.
