GLP1-RA-based therapies for Obesity treatment – Market Assessment 

Request for Proposal (RFP)  

Last date for submission: 7th September 2025  

Title of the Consultancy    

Data collection to assess countries’ market size and preparedness for the introduction of GLP1 receptor agonist (GLP1-RA) therapies for obesity treatment in a sample of low- middle-income countries. 

Background on the Medicines Patent Pool   

The Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) was established by Unitaid in 2010 to improve access to affordable, quality-assured HIV medicines in developing countries through voluntary licensing. MPP negotiates intellectual property agreements with patent holders to enable the generic production of patented medicines in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), often years before patent expiry. It also supports LMIC-focused innovation, such as pediatric formulations and fixed-dose combinations, as well as technology transfer and local manufacturing to strengthen regional production capacity and sustainable supply. 

MPP has expanded its mandate beyond HIV to include tuberculosis and hepatitis C, and, following a 2018 feasibility study, broadened its mandate to cover all patented essential medicines, including in non-communicable diseases.  In 2020, this was further extended to COVID-19 health technologies and in 2021, to biotherapeutics. Recognizing the multifaceted barriers to access in LMICs especially for NCDs, MPP collaborates with a range of partners, through initiatives like the ATOM Coalition, which aims to improve access to cancer medicines and strengthen health system capacity. 

As of 2024, the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) has signed agreements with 22 patent holders covering treatments for HIV, hepatitis C, tuberculosis, cancer, maternal health, COVID-19, and long-acting formulations. Based on a methodology published in The Lancet Public Health, MPP estimates that between 2010 and 2024, 52.19 billion doses were supplied through its licences, with projections of 170,000 deaths averted and $3.8 billion in cost savings by 2035. 

Objectives  

This data collection aims to assess the current landscape of obesity care and evaluate the readiness of selected LMICs to introduce and adopt GLP1-RA based therapies within their public and private healthcare systems. The assessment will map national capacities, identify key barriers and enablers to adoption, and inform strategies to facilitate access to MPP-licensed products. 

The assessment also aims to identify potential strategic opportunities for MPP, such as countries where voluntary licensing, local manufacturing, or technology transfer could help expand equitable access to GLP1-RA based therapies. 

Countries of focus   

MPP’s mandate focuses on LMICs, which correspond to the following three income groups according to the World Bank Classification: low-income, lower-middle-income, and upper-middle-income countries. (See here) 

Consultants would be required to work on 4-6 focus low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) that can form a representative sample according to geography, income, size of the population, burden of diseases, level of achievement of Universal Health Coverage including its funding, health expenditure and financing, health system capacity, and pharmaceutical policies. Countries that are currently the frontrunners in the WHO Acceleration Plan to Stop Obesity might be taken into consideration. 

Type of information to be collected in the assessment   

The data collected will provide an in-depth, country-specific understanding of the key factors influencing the future uptake of GLP1-RA based therapies for obesity. This includes both the broader health system context and elements of the current (or potential) patient journey, even in settings where no structured pathway currently exists.  

The assessment will cover at least the following areas: 

• Obesity patient journey, including: 

• Screening and diagnosis: e.g. Prevalence and incidence of obesity, existing national obesity screening program or guidelines, screening and diagnosis of obesity, integration of obesity diagnosis into existing NCD screening programs, level of the health system where obesity is typically diagnosed (primary, secondary, or tertiary care) 

• Treatment delivery: Existence of national treatment guidelines for obesity management, available treatment options (lifestyle, pharmacological, surgical); cost and affordability of treatment options 

• Comorbidities: Burden and prevalence of common obesity-related comorbidities (e.g, T2DM, CVD), screening of patients for comorbidities during obesity care, use of GLP1 –RA based therapies for other indications such as T2DM, prevalence of obesity among people living with HIV, clinical guidelines for managing obesity in PLHIV. 

• Country pharmaceutical policies, National Essential Medicines List (NEML) and relevant stakeholders: existing national obesity/NCD policies and implementation status, current NEML (inclusion of obesity treatment), process of including medicines in the NEML and timelines, map out key country stakeholders e.g. patient groups. Domestic financing for medicines for obesity care. 

• Potential market (both private and public) for GLP1-RA based therapies: A model estimating the number of people eligible for GLP1-RA based treatment, including those with T2DM and CVD comorbidities, will be developed. This will include:  

• Total Addressable Market: The total number of individuals with obesity who meet clinical eligibility criteria for GLP1 RA based treatment, including those with comorbidities such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. 

• Serviceable Addressable Market (SAM): The subset of the TAM that can realistically be reached within the country’s current health system capacity, regulatory approvals, and treatment infrastructure 

• Serviceable Obtainable Market (SOM): The proportion of the SAM expected to initiate and sustain treatment with GLP1 RAs, based on affordability, availability, and patient uptake. 

Please note that the information mentioned above only represents an example and not an exhaustive list of data required for the assessment, we expect the consultants to develop a comprehensive list of information to be collected, and a detailed methodology for the data collection. 

Timelines of the project   

We expect the first draft of the required outputs to be delivered by 2 months since the kickoff of the project, ideally by November 30th. MPP will, then, provide feedback to support the development of the final report that is expected by the end of this year. Therefore, the time available for the consultants to implement the assessment is around 8 weeks.  

Required Outputs   

• Country reports summarizing essential findings /country (Word and power point)  

• Excel document with modeling of the potential eligible patient population for each country 

• Summary tables with key strategic information on potential opportunities for MPP 

• Any other presentations, as required by MPP. 

Funding   

All proposals must include a budget and budget justification for all costs associated with this project. Costs must detail all components of this project. Please, note that the budget must be expressed in CHF as it will be the currency of remuneration.   

Selection Criteria    

Proposals will be assessed according to the following criteria:  

• Expertise on Health systems, Market Access, Global Health & pharmaceutical sector;  

• Direct access to countries’ health sectors’ data;  

• Breadth, depth and relevance of data and information to be collected;  

• Cost of the budget proposal;  

• Timelines;  

• Project management and customer service skills;  

• Experience of the team assigned to the project;   

• Firm track record and customer satisfaction;  

• Note: prior experience working with MPP is a value-add.    

How to submit the proposal  

Proposals should be sent by e-mail to recruitment@medicinespatentpool.org with the subject “RFP – GLP1-RA Market Access Data Collection” with the proposal, fees, and proposed timeline for deliverables by 7th September 2025.  

In case there is need for additional information, please reach out to Mutungi Hillary hmutungi@medicinespatentpool.org