Brasília – The municipality of Urupês, in the state of São Paulo, has announced a local public health initiative to offer tirzepatide free of charge through the Unified Health System (SUS) to treat obesity, in a pilot project expected to serve up to 200 eligible residents. The program, disclosed by the city’s mayor, Beto Cacciari (PL), will provide the medication alongside comprehensive multidisciplinary support including endocrinology, nutrition, psychology, physical education and social services for patients who meet clinical criteria related to age, body mass index and prior non-pharmacological treatment attempts.

While local authorities characterize the measure as a responsible effort to improve quality of life and prevent chronic complications of obesity, the manufacturer Eli Lilly has raised concerns, noting that the product distributed is a manipulated version of tirzepatide and not the approved Mounjaro formulation, which could lead to patient confusion and potential safety issues. Separately, similar initiatives have been observed in other municipalities, but broad inclusion of tirzepatide-based therapies in SUS remains contingent on health technology assessment and cost-effectiveness evaluation by national bodies such as Conitec.

Source: CNN Brasil