New campaign shifts views on obesity

CEBU, Philippines — Danish drugmaker, Novo Nordisk is stepping up efforts to address the Philippines’ growing obesity crisis through a newly launched public awareness campaign and expanded access to prescription-based treatment, partnering with Cebu-grown pharmacy chain Rose Pharmacy as it deepens its footprint outside Metro Manila.

The pharmaceutical company, launched its “Live Lighter” movement in Cebu following its national debut in Manila in April, positioning the Philippines as part of a broader regional and global campaign aimed at reframing obesity as a chronic disease rather than a lifestyle issue.

“We are probably still at the start of the journey,” said Wei Sun, general manager of Novo Nordisk Philippines, referring to efforts to improve public understanding of obesity and medically guided treatment. “The problem is huge. Around 30 million adult Filipinos are living with overweight or obesity. This is not something one campaign can solve in a short time.”

The initiative coincides with the Philippine rollout of Wegovy®, Novo Nordisk’s prescription obesity drug based on semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist designed to regulate appetite and metabolic processes.

According to Sun, the launch marks a shift toward science-based and long-term obesity management as demand rises for treatments linked to weight-related chronic diseases including diabetes and cardiovascular conditions.

Novo Nordisk executives and medical experts used the Cebu launch to caution against the growing practice of self-medication involving GLP-1 drugs, emphasizing that semaglutide should only be used under physician supervision.

“Patient safety is the most important priority for us,” said Dr. Christiana Vida Montefalcon, head of Clinical, Medical, Regulatory and Pharmacovigilance at Novo Nordisk Philippines. “Semaglutide is a prescription medicine and requires proper doctor initiation and follow-up.”

The company said semaglutide has been studied in more than 140,000 clinical trial participants globally and has accumulated roughly 49 million patient-years of usage, providing what it described as an extensive safety and efficacy record.

The Cebu expansion highlights Novo Nordisk’s strategy of working with healthcare providers and retail pharmacy networks such as Rose Pharmacy to widen patient access to medically supervised obesity care beyond the capital region.

Healthcare executives at the launch said obesity treatment should combine medication with lifestyle intervention, including diet and exercise, as the Philippines faces rising healthcare costs tied to non-communicable diseases.

Recent estimates from the EpiCOb-PH study showed obesity cost the Philippine economy about P1.9 trillion in 2025, equivalent to 7.3 percent of gross domestic product, reflecting the mounting economic burden linked to obesity-related illnesses.

“Live Lighter is more than a campaign,” Sun said. “It is about changing how obesity is understood and managed in the Philippines, moving from stigma to science and helping patients access proper care.”