Mounjaro is the fourth anti-obesity medicine to appear in Portugal and debuted this month. Between January and August 2024, the Portuguese spent 9.6 million euros on medicines of this type.
Mounjaro (tirzepatide is the name of the drug), a medicine similar to injections for diabetes patients type 2 and overweight or obesity (body mass index 30 or more) — a kind of Ozempic, but taken weekly, not daily.
Tirzepatide is called a “double agonist”, explains: it imitates the effect of GLP-1, i.e. increases insulin secretion e slows gastric emptying (which causes a feeling of satiety). It also imitates the functioning of the hormone GIP, which also stimulates the production of insulin.
In other words, the medicine helps in the treatment of diabetesas it helps to regulate blood sugar levels. But it is weight loss that seems to captivate the Portuguese, who by August, according to , had already spent R$9.6 million on medicines to reduce obesity.
Infarmed reported that tirzepatide is available in two presentations: a dosage of 2.5 milligrams per 0.6 millimeters or five milligrams per 0.6 millimeters, both sold at 244.8 euros.
Even though obesity is considered a chronic disease and a public health problem in Portugall, the medicine, as there is no “legal framework” that allows it, says Infarmed.
According to DECO, “the most frequently reported adverse reactions were gastrointestinal diseases, including nausea (very common), diarrhea (very common) and vomiting (frequent). In general, these reactions were, for the most part, mild or moderate severity and occurred more frequently during the beginning of treatment, decreasing over time”.
Alli (orlistat), are the medicines currently recommended by the European Agency of Medicines to combat obesity.
