Patent barriers and high costs limit reach of booming weight-loss drug market in South Africa
Sales of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists have climbed sharply in South Africa’s private healthcare sector, yet the majority of potential beneficiaries remain excluded due to prohibitive pricing and restricted medical scheme coverage. Neither the public health system nor most private insurers fully fund these treatments for obesity, despite recent clinical guidelines endorsing their use….