I devoured your article on Novo Nordisk “Anti-obesity drugs lift ambitions of world’s largest charitable foundation” (Report, December 30). One thing in particular I didn’t know was that creating a foundation to own a company was a common model in Denmark.
One of Novo Nordisk’s aims is to tackle the root cause of obesity and diabetes. Is that only as long as treatment is the answer? The elephant in the room seems to be that the long-term answer probably isn’t a drug. It will involve exposing human beings, especially when young, to good food (not ultra-processed foods) experiences and exercise.
You also write that the foundation is “teaching healthcare professionals in India and Africa to improve prevention and treatment”, which is interesting. Headway with prevention would be truly newsworthy.
In the same edition, Helen Thomas (“Forecasting the world in 2024”, Report) predicts 700mn people could be treated by the drug globally. Sigh!
I hope they don’t market by trying to convince slightly overweight people they need a drug. Prevention promises the big payout for humanity, and pharma has the intelligence, not least in its elite marketers (aka behavioural scientists).
Novo Nordisk Foundation chief executive Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen told the FT the foundation is well placed to take riskier bets. Prove it!
Sarah Redston
Oxford, Oxfordshire, UK
