Popular US weight loss drug approved for NHS England use

A ‘game’ changing weight loss drug which has proven popular in America and amongst celebrities has been approved to be used by the NHS in England.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) concluded the weight loss drug, semaglutide, otherwise known as Wegovy, is safe, effect and affordable for people to use in England.

Delivered via an injection to the skin, the drug, which was approved in the US in 2019, makes people feel fuller and more satisfied, forcing them to eat less. Famous personalities including Kim Kardashian and business magnate and investor Elon Musk have used it. Patients on the NHS will inject themselves weekly with a pen.

The drug is able to suppress appetites through mimicking the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) which is released after eating.

A previous study found people who were given the medicine saw their weight drop by 12% on average after 68 weeks. Another study said side-effects included nausea and diarrhoea but these were typically mild-to-moderate in severity and subsided with time.

Adults with at least one weight-related condition and a body mass index (BMI) score of at least 35 would be eligible for the drug, made by Novo Nordisk – a leading global healthcare company founded in 1923 – on the NHS.

BMI is calculated by dividing an adult’s weight in kilograms by the square of their height in metres.

Individuals who are lower on the obese BMI range – a BMI between 30 and 34.9kg/m2 – could also be offered the drug if they have a weight-related health condition. NICE lists these as someone who is pre-diabetic, has type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease or obstructive sleep apnoea.

The once weekly injections will have to be prescribed by a specialist and an individual will only be allowed to take the drug for a maximum of two years.

Professor Nick Finer, from the National Centre for Cardiovascular Prevention and Outcomes at University College London, said: ‘The efficacy of semaglutide is a true game changer for the medical treatment of obesity, a chronic disease that shortens life through its many complications.’

However, stating that the drug should not solely be relied on as a way of losing weight, Dr Stephen Lawrence, Associate Clinical Professor at the University of Warwick, said: ‘It is important to note…that this medication is not a quick fix or a replacement for following a healthy lifestyle, which includes regular physical activity and healthy eating.’

This news follows a recent global study from the World Obesity Federation which estimates that 51% of the world will be overweight by 2035. 

Photo by Huha Inc.