UK approves first daily pill for weight loss with Wegovy

The medicines regulators officially announced on Thursday that patients in the UK will soon be able to buy the Wegovy weight-loss pill, achieving a significant milestone to become the first GLP-1 receptor agonist tablet for weight loss to be approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

The UK has become the third country to approve the pills following the US and the UAE. The pills are now approved for adults who are obese and have a BMI of 30 or above. It is also for patients who have at least one weight-related health condition.

At present, prices have not been finalized but patients can expect that they can be cheaper than injections. While private prescription for Wegovy injections commonly costs £90-£300 a month specifically depending on the dosage and treatment duration.

The MHRA further stated that new patients will initially start at 1.5mg with doses gradually increasing to 4mg, 9mg and 25mg after spending at least one month at each level.

Subsequently, those who are treated privately with 2.4mg Wegovy injections can switch to 25mg tablets once daily.

In this connection, Emil Kongshoj Larsen, the vice-president at Novo Nordisk said: “ This is a landmark approval, making the UK the first country in Europe to approve the Wegovy pill. We hope this approval supports increasing access to obesity care in the UK.”

Common side effects of Wegovy pills include nausea, constipation, diarrhoea and vomiting. People are advised to stay cautioned, and consult their doctor, pharmacist or nurse if they are experiencing any unusual side effects.

A professor of cardiometabolic medicine, Naveed Sattar said: “This is a landmark approval, making the UK the first country in Europe to approve Wegovy pills. We hope this approval supports increasing access to obesity care in the UK.”

“Expanding the range of effective treatments is important in helping people sustainably reduce caloric intakes within an increasingly obesogenic environment.”

“With obesity rates in the UK now at very high levels, and associated with substantial multimorbidity, additional treatment options for sustained weight loss are greatly needed.”

Most importantly, people are using weight-loss injections in the UK, and demand for weight-loss pills is expected to be remarkably high while playing a pivotal role in combating obesity.

Furthermore, Katharine Jenner said that an oral Wegovy pill could help expand access to effective treatment, while making it easier for patients to use. It is pertinent to mention that weight-loss drugs are not an ultimate replacement for prevention.