The antidiabetic agent used for weight loss was the drug with the largest increase in consumption.

Semaglutide, an antidiabetic drug also used for weight loss, was the drug with the biggest spending increase in 2022, amounting to more than 27 million euros for the National Health Service (SNS).

According to a National Medicines Administration (Infarmed) report on drug consumption monitoring in public pharmacies, SNS spent €27.2 million on semaglutide last year, up €19.8 million from 2021, when it began to be reimbursed.

Despite this increase in government spending, the drug, for which demand increased significantly in 2022, had a market weight of just 1.7% that same year.

Infarm data also shows that the therapeutic class of anti-diabetic drugs represented a cost to the NHS of around €378 million in 2022, up €64.3 million from the previous year, an increase of 20.5%.

In total, the state fee for all medicines reimbursed by SNS last year amounted to 1,567 million euros, which is 137 million more than in 2021 (9.6% more).

In October 2022, the National Pharmaceutical and Therapeutic Commission Infarmed warned that the misuse of the drug semaglutide has hampered its access to diabetic patients and defended that the prescription should be made “in good faith”.

The Commission recalled that in Portugal, semaglutide does not have an approved therapeutic indication for the treatment of obesity or overweight in non-diabetic patients, so its use in these situations is in line with an “off label” use “which should be discussed with the patient and off the regimen.” reimbursement by the National Health Service (SNS).”

In this circular, Infarmed also acknowledged that the drug has “supply problems due to a significant increase in demand and the inability of Novo Nordisk to produce up to the required volumes”, emphasizing that this situation affects not only Portugal, but also most of Europe and the United States. .