GPs to offer ‘game changer’ weight loss drug Wegovy to patients on NHS

GPs in England may soon start offering a weight loss jab to some patients in a bid to cut obesity-related illnesses and reduce NHS waiting lists.

Appetite suppressant semaglutide - also known as Wegovy - was given approval for use on the NHS by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) earlier this year, but it said it should only be available though specialist clinics which tend to be based in hospitals.

The government said this would mean only around 35,000 people would have access to the treatment when tens of thousands more could be eligible under the criteria of having a body mass index of at least 35 and one weight-related condition, such as diabetes or high blood pressure.

A £40 million two-year pilot is now being launched to increase access to weight loss drugs and will explore how approved treatments can be made available to more people. This will include expanding specialist weight management services outside of hospital and looking at how GPs can safely prescribe the drugs, with the NHS providing support in the community or online.

Rishi Sunak said the new treatments could be a “game changer” and wants to tackle the £6.5 billion cost to the NHS of obesity by making it easier to access weight-loss treatments through GPs.

There were more than one million admissions to NHS hospitals in 2019/2020 where obesity was a factor and it is one of the leading contributors to conditions such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer.

The Prime Minister said: “Obesity puts huge pressure on the NHS. Using the latest drugs to support people to lose weight will be a game-changer by helping to tackle dangerous obesity-related health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and cancer – reducing pressure on hospitals, supporting people to live healthier and longer lives, and helping to deliver on my priority to cut NHS waiting lists.”

Wegovy suppresses appetite “by mimicking the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which is released after eating", according to Nice. Patients inject themselves with the drug weekly and this makes them feel full, meaning they eat less and lose weight.

It is popular among celebrities and has been used by the likes of Billionaire Elon Musk to stay in shape. Last October, Musk was asked by a Twitter user what his secret was to looking "fit, ripped, and healthy" to which he replied "fasting" and "Wegovy".

Officials said evidence from clinical trials shows that, when prescribed alongside diet, physical activity and behavioural support, people taking a weight-loss drug can lose up to 15% of their body weight after one year, with results apparent within the first month.

Nice recommended Wegovy, which is 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
• heart disease

NHS medical director Professor Sir Stephen Powis said: “Pharmaceutical treatments offer a new way of helping people with obesity gain a healthier weight and this new pilot will help determine if these medicines can be used safely and effectively in non-hospital settings as well as a range of other interventions we have in place.

“NHS England is already working to implement recommendations from Nice to make this new class of treatment available to patients through established specialist weight management services, subject to negotiating a secure long-term supply of the products at prices that represent value for money taxpayers.”

Professor Kamila Hawthorne, chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners added: “Shifting some of this care safely into primary care is worth exploring as it makes sense for patients to access care within the community, where safe and appropriate, but this would need to be matched with sufficient resource and funding to account for the increased workload.

“Any plans to expand availability of semaglutide in primary care must also be done based on evidence of long-term benefit to patients – and sufficient availability of the drug must be ensured ahead of any roll-out, so as not to raise patients’ expectations, as there may be a significant number of people who would benefit from it.”