HGP Nightly News – President Dr. Irfaan Ali says the growing use of the weight-loss and diabetes drug Mounjaro in Guyana is exposing a wider challenge in healthcare, one in which public demand and medical innovation are moving faster than regulatory systems can respond.
Speaking at the 70th Annual CARPHA Health Research Conference, the President pointed to the increasing popularity of the once-weekly injectable medication, even as the Government Analyst-Food and Drug Department continues reviewing it for approval on the local market. Underscoring just how widespread its use has become, Ali said, “Everybody is using it.”
The drug, which is used internationally for Type 2 diabetes and chronic weight conditions, has attracted major attention globally, and now appears to be drawing strong interest in Guyana as well. But the President warned that this growing demand also highlights a serious gap between the speed of medical innovation and the slower pace of regulation.
According to Ali, “health innovation is advancing at a pace that far exceeds the ability of many regulatory systems to assess, approve, and monitor.” He cautioned that if regulators fail to keep pace with what is entering the market and being used by the population, oversight systems could begin to lose relevance and authority.
In one of his strongest warnings, the President said, “the population will be ahead of you,” and argued that if that trend is allowed to continue unchecked, “that is the complete collapse of a healthcare system.” His comments framed the Mounjaro issue not just as one drug approval process, but as a warning sign about how fast-moving health products and technologies can outstrip the systems meant to govern them.
Ali said the answer lies in stronger regional cooperation and a more modern regulatory model that can respond to today’s realities. He noted that newer developments such as artificial intelligence and digital therapeutics are also entering healthcare spaces more quickly than many regulatory structures can adapt, making the challenge even more urgent.
For now, the approval process for Mounjaro remains ongoing, with local authorities continuing to assess the drug even as demand appears to be rising. But the President’s message was clear: in a health sector being reshaped by rapid innovation, regulation cannot afford to lag too far behind public use.
