A “game changer” weight loss injection said to be popular among celebrities is to be made available through the NHS in England for certain people living with obesity, health officials have announced. Thousands are expected to be offered the appetite suppressant Wegovy on prescription after the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) gave it the green light for NHS use.
Experts described the decision as a “pivotal moment” for the treatment of people living with obesity but others warned that the drug is not a “quick fix”. A previous study found that people who are given the drug, which comes as a weekly injection, saw their weight drop by 12% on average after 68 weeks.
Nice has issued final guidance recommending semaglutide (also known as Wegovy and made by Novo Nordisk) for adults with at least one weight-related condition and a body mass index (BMI) score of at least 35. The weight-related conditions that make obese people eligible include type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, high blood pressure, dyslipidaemia (unbalanced or unhealthy cholesterol levels), obstructive sleep apnoea and heart disease.
