Weight loss jabs could be made for $3 a month in the near future

The World Health Organisation (WHO) 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.

Weight-loss jabs such as Wegovy and Ozempic could be made for just $3 (€2.56) 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.