The bold move has been accompanied by a full-page ad in the Wall Street Journal explaining its reasoning, and claiming that the prices of GLP-1 drugs for weight loss are five times too high and need to be brought in line with levels in other countries
Yue T, Shi Y, Luo S, Weng J, Wu Y, Zheng X
J Neuroendocrinol 5 : 151155 Bieber LL
Key points GLP-1 is a hormone that increases insulin release and prevents the release of too much glucagon, helping manage blood glucose levels in individuals with type 2 diabetes GLP-1 receptor agonists, such as liraglutide and semaglutide, effectively reduce blood glucose levels Semaglutide is more effective than liraglutide at reducing blood sugar levels Tirzepatide is a newer GLP-1 receptor agonist that also mimics the actions of another hormone called GIP, which can also reduce blood sugar levels A randomised controlled trial showed that tirzepatide led to more significant blood sugar reductions than semaglutide across three doses Tirzepatide may be more effective than semaglutide at higher doses, but this needs further investigation Liraglutide and semaglutide are available in the UK and the US, while tirzepatide is only available in the US but is likely to be approved in the UK soon