LAHORE: Pakistan’s healthcare sector has entered a transformative phase in diabetes and obesity management, with local pharmaceutical companies investing in the production of advanced incretin-based therapies to improve access and affordability of patients for the first time, doctors say.

As per a press release, “For years, treatments such as GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) and GIP (gastric inhibitory polypeptide) receptor agonists remained inaccessible to most patients due to high import costs and limited supply. These medications mimic natural hormones that regulate insulin, appetite and digestion, helping lower blood sugar while promoting weight loss and improving cardiovascular and liver health,” according to endocrinologist Dr Faisal Masood Qureshi.

However, he says, now local manufacturing of advanced GLP therapies represents a breakthrough beyond individual patient care. “It has made it convenient for patients to adhere to long-term therapy. These innovations can optimise healthcare resources and ease public health burdens by cutting diabetes and obesity complications within the next decade,” he says.

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Globally, drugs such as semaglutide and tirzepatide have revolutionised diabetes and obesity treatment, often outperforming traditional regimens.

Pakistani pharmaceutical firms have now begun producing bio-similar versions – biologic medicines developed to match the safety, efficacy and quality of their international counterparts, of these therapies locally, marking a significant milestone in access and affordability.

“What’s happening now is genuinely encouraging, with local companies becoming the first in the world for manufacturing all three advanced GLP-1 and GIP receptor agonists – tirzepatide injection, semaglutide injection, and oral semaglutide,” Punjab’s former health minister, Dr Javed Akram, says.

The therapies being produced domestically include Tirzee (tirzepatide injection), a dual GIP and GLP-1 receptor agonist; SEM-P (semaglutide injection); and SEM-O (oral semaglutide) that uses SNAC technology.

Until now, imported versions of these medicines cost 5-10 times the average monthly household income. Local production is expected to significantly lower prices and stabilise supply chains, experts say.

“This will make the latest treatment accessible to ordinary patients,” adds Dr Akram.

Published in Dawn, October 27th, 2025