Peter Singer

On now — join us online sciencesummitnyc.org/science-summ...

Happy to speak at this session on data, innovation, and the future of global health #UNGA80

Opinion: Canadians can benefit from tumbling prices on weight-loss drugs Affordable semaglutide can improve the health outcomes for the more than 1 billion people living with obesity worldwide

So @petersinger.bsky.social and I just published a piece about the "$6 revolution" in generic GLP-1 drugs in Canada's @theglobeandmail.com.

You can also read the original, longer version, on our Substacks. (see below)

www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti...

Canadians can benefit from tumbling prices on weight-loss drugs Affordable semaglutide can improve the health outcomes for the more than 1 billion people living with obesity worldwide

Happy to write this piece with @natashaloder.bsky.social. Canada is in a unique position as the only G7 country which will soon have no patent protections for GLP-1 drugs. The opportunities are humungous. Read more about what we think should happen www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/2be7b2e...

Canadians can benefit from tumbling prices on weight-loss drugs Affordable semaglutide can improve the health outcomes for the more than 1 billion people living with obesity worldwide

Happy to write this piece with @natashaloder.bsky.social. Canada is in a unique position as the only G7 country which will soon have no patent protections for GLP-1 drugs. The opportunities are humungous. Read more about what we think should happen www.theglobeandmail.com/gift/2be7b2e...

Opinion: Canadians can benefit from tumbling prices on weight-loss drugs Affordable semaglutide can improve the health outcomes for the more than 1 billion people living with obesity worldwide

Canadians can benefit from tumbling prices on weight-loss drugs. Canada is in a unique position as the only G7 country where patent protection on semaglutide is about to lapse, by @petersinger.bsky.social @natashaloder.bsky.social www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/arti... via @theglobeandmail.com

The WHO listing is a step in the right direction. But it’s only advice to governments. Its indications are also pretty conservative: diabetes w/ heart or kidney disease or w/ obesity. WHO could speed up availability by pre-qualifying GLP-1 manufacturers and updating its clinical guidelines.

2/n

Sept 5th: @who.int lists GLP-1 on Essential Medicines List. NVO and LLY shares drop. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Sept 5th: @who.int lists GLP-1 on Essential Medicines List. NVO and LLY shares drop. 🤷🏻‍♂️

The $6 revolution. How generic weight loss drugs could save millions of lives. The arrival of generic semaglutide is an unheard of opportunity for global public health

Funding is also needed. @natashaloder.bsky.social & I outline several options for innovative finance for GLP-1 drugs and sketch the huge opportunity as the patent on semaglutide expires in many jurisdictions early next year. Check out our joint piece here: open.substack.com/pub/singerp/...

3/n

On Sept 5th, @who.int listed GLP-1 drugs on its Essential Medicines List. This listing covers about 75% of the 2.1 m lives saved per year in the lower estimate of the model David Brook and I developed. See the details on the screenshot below from our preprint: www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...

1/n

GLP-1 drugs have been on the Medicines Patent Pool priority list for a while. Time for the companies to come forward now @who.int labeled them essential @thirugeneva.bsky.social @medicinespatentpool.org

Now this is an interesting idea.

Overmatter | Natasha Loder | Substack Stories that matter. Click to read Overmatter, by Natasha Loder, a Substack publication with hundreds of subscribers.

@natashaloder.bsky.social and I will have more to say about this and other global health stuff in the weeks ahead. Follow us on our substacks.

Natasha’s substack: open.substack.com/pub/overmatt...

Peter’s substack: open.substack.com/pub/singerp?...

4/4 fin

The $6 revolution. How generic weight loss drugs could save millions of lives. The arrival of generic semaglutide is an unheard of opportunity for global public health

Funding is also needed. @natashaloder.bsky.social & I outline several options for innovative finance for GLP-1 drugs and sketch the huge opportunity as the patent on semaglutide expires in many jurisdictions early next year. Check out our joint piece here: open.substack.com/pub/singerp/...

3/n

The WHO listing is a step in the right direction. But it’s only advice to governments. Its indications are also pretty conservative: diabetes w/ heart or kidney disease or w/ obesity. WHO could speed up availability by pre-qualifying GLP-1 manufacturers and updating its clinical guidelines.

2/n

On Sept 5th, @who.int listed GLP-1 drugs on its Essential Medicines List. This listing covers about 75% of the 2.1 m lives saved per year in the lower estimate of the model David Brook and I developed. See the details on the screenshot below from our preprint: www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1...

1/n

I was happy to participate in this @yalesph.bsky.social video about science and society

The $6 revolution. How generic weight loss drugs could save millions of lives. The arrival of generic semaglutide is an unheard of opportunity for global public health

Tomorrow the WHO updates its essential medicines list—which over 150 countries adopt as policy. Will GLP-1 drugs be on the list?

Read my article with @petersinger.bsky.social which explains why such a shift could be an important next step

overmatter.substack.com/p/the-6-revo...

Good reads at singerp.substack.com

The $6 revolution. How generic weight loss drugs could save millions of lives. The arrival of generic semaglutide is an unheard of opportunity for global public health

Details from @natashaloder.bsky.social and @petersinger.bsky.social

overmatter.substack.com/p/the-6-revo...

5/ The World Health Organization needs to step up. GLP-1 drugs deserve inclusion in global obesity strategies. Delay could mean hundreds of thousands of preventable deaths.

1️⃣ Earlier this month, the US health department—headed by RFK Jr.—terminated $500m contracts supposedly related to mRNA vaccines for respiratory viruses. Debunked safety concerns were cited as the reason.

But far more than this was cut. #Science #Vaccines #HealthPolicy #RNA #mRNA

@natashaloder.bsky.social and I argue that company foundations should be able to promote global access — by supporting financial innovations or research— on products their related companies make in cases of massive public benefits. See our substack at singerp.substack.com & overmatter.substack.com

In 5 months, semaglutide (Ozempic) goes off patent in parts of the world. Manufacturing cost is about $6/month.

India, China, Brazil, and Canada will get generics. The US, UK, and Europe won't. Yet.

Eventually, this will be dirt cheap for everyone. That's how obesity ends.

❗️

3/ This isn’t just about weight loss. These drugs could save up to 3.1M lives per year, as per @petersinger.bsky.social and help with diabetes, improve heart health, and may also impact addiction and dementia risk.

mRNA vaccines can be quickly programmed based on viral genomic sequence. It’s like anti-viral software updates IRL. That quick and nimble nature is what makes them so useful.