Could one daily pill narrow the diabetes treatment gap in the Global South?

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Medication that has been a lifeline for patients with uncontrollable diabetes is now slowly shifting from injections to pills, a move that could fundamentally alter treatment for the disease – and who can access it.

This shift could also affect the treatment of obesity, a long misunderstood condition once associated with overeating and laziness, rather than the metabolic disorder it is now recognised as.

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GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) receptor agonists therapy isn’t new. The first FDA-approved drug, Exenatide, hit the market in 2005 and was followed by Liraglutide in 2009, which was seen as a revolutionary alternative to insulin.

But the market has until recently been dominated by weekly injections like Ozempic and Wegovy (semaglutide), and Mounjaro (tirzepatide). These drugs have also proved successful for weight loss.

Now, once-daily oral GLP pills are emerging as an alternative, especially for the diabetes-stricken Global South.

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