The approval of the Wegovy Pill in Britain has sparked a desperate clamour among those looking to lose weight fast.
Private waiting lists are believed to have soared close to 100,000 as Britons scramble to secure the game-changing GLP-1 treatment, which can help people with obesity lose up to 17 per cent of their body weight after 64 weeks.
For now, the oral medication – a tablet version of the once-weekly Wegovy injection – will be available only through private providers.
Among them are well-known high street names such as Morrisons, Superdrug and Boots, whose pharmacies will stock the pills, alongside numerous other licensed and regulated retailers.
Prices are set to be even cheaper than the injectable form of the drug, with some healthcare providers selling the drug from today. If all goes to plan, the pill could be in patients’ hands by early July.
Discussions about making the treatment available on the NHS are understood to be taking place soon, although no timetable has yet been announced.
Thursday’s approval by health officials means the pill can be prescribed privately to adults with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or above, meaning they are officially obese. Those with a BMI between 27 and 30 who also have a ‘weight-related’ medical condition will also be eligible.
But how exactly does the Wegovy Pill work, and when can people get it? Here’s everything you need to know about the blockbuster weight-loss treatment.
The approval of the Wegovy Pill in Britain has triggered a desperate clamour among those looking to lose weight fast
How does the Wegovy Pill work?
Like the Wegovy injection, the Wegovy Pill contains the same active ingredient, semaglutide.
This works by reducing the body’s appetite by mimicking a hormone in the gut which is released after eating.
In turn, this reduces hunger and makes patients feel fuller for longer – which is why patients tend to have reduced appetites and go on to lose weight.
Trial results show that participants taking the pill lost around 17 per cent of their body weight, meaning it is slightly less effective than the jabs, which tend to trigger up to a 20.7 per cent reduction for the highest dose.
The starting dose for the pill is 1.5mg, rising to 4mg, 9mg and the maximum of 25mg. Patients are required to remain on each dose for at least one month before increasing.
However, those already taking a 2.4mg injection of Wegovy are allowed to switch directly to the 25mg form of the tablet.
The pill is taken once a day and must be swallowed on an empty stomach with a small amount of water.
The arrival of a GLP-1 pill is expected to trigger a major surge in demand for weight-loss treatment.
At least 1.6 million adults in the UK are thought to be using weight-loss jabs already, with a further 3.3 million considering taking them.
But polling by digital healthcare provider Numan found that around one in five people considering weight-loss medication are put off by a fear of needles.
Now that the simpler, oral tablet has been approved, experts believe demand for the pill will soar because it gives people the option not to self-inject.
Based on US prescribing trends, estimates suggest more than 120,000 UK adults could begin taking the pill privately within three months of its launch.
Dr Tsolmon Tsogbayar, senior clinical product lead at Numan, said: ‘There are many people who have wanted support with their weight for years but have struggled with the idea of injectable treatment, in some cases avoiding healthcare settings involving needles altogether.
‘The arrival of oral GLP-1 medication is hugely significant because it has the potential to make evidence-based obesity treatment accessible to a much wider group of patients who previously felt excluded from the current options available.’
Does it have any side effects?
Like all GLP-1 medications, the Wegovy Pill can cause side effects – though they are typically mild to moderate.
During the clinical trial that led the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) to approve the drug for use in the UK, around 74 per cent of users of the drug reported problems such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea.
However, the symptoms were not exclusive to those taking the medication. In the placebo group – participants in the trial who did not receive the drug – 42 per cent also reported similar complaints.
On the official website for the drugs, a statement reads: ‘The use of Wegovy has been associated with gastrointestinal (GI) side effects, which are sometimes severe.
‘Wegovy is not recommended in patients with severe gastroparesis (which is a chronic condition where food passes through the stomach slower than it should).
‘Nausea was the most frequently reported symptom. Nausea was generally transient. Most occurrences of nausea did not lead to permanent discontinuation of Wegovy.’
As with the injectable version of Wegovy, more serious complications are rare but can occur.
These include gallbladder problems, inflammation of the pancreas, known as pancreatitis, and kidney complications.
Patients are advised to seek medical advice if they experience severe symptoms.
Like all GLP-1 medications, the Wegovy Pill can cause side effects – though they are typically mild to moderate
Where will it be available, when, and how much will it cost?
As the Wegovy Pill has not yet been approved for NHS use, the drug will only be available from private, licensed retailers for the time being.
When approached by the Daily Mail yesterday, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) – which decides whether medicines should be funded by the health service – claims Wegovy manufacturer Novo Nordisk has not yet made a submission to them.
However, it is understood that Novo Nordisk plans to meet with the UK Government in the future to discuss rolling out the Wegovy Pill on the NHS – with the price of the drug thought to be the sticking point.
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Until then, patients eligible to be prescribed the drug will have to turn to licensed private providers.
These include well-known high street names such as Boots, Morrisons and Superdrug, as well as popular online healthcare providers such as Numan, Simple Online Healthcare, Juniper and Voy.
Superdrug confirmed that it hopes to have stock in July after seeing a 130 per cent increase in sign-ups for the drug, but could not confirm a price.
Boots, meanwhile, said they anticipate the Wegovy Pill becoming available ‘in the coming weeks’. They added that pricing details will be shared ‘nearer launch’.
Morrisons said they expected the drug in the summer.
Private retailers shared more information, with Simple Online Healthcare saying its waiting list has already exceeded 60,000 people and expects to begin delivering the medication to patients at the beginning of July after going on pre-sale today.
The provider said prices will start from around £99 per month for the lowest dose of 1.5mg.
Abdal Alvi, chief clinical officer at Simple Online Pharmacy, told the Daily Mail: ‘We expect to open pre-sale today for priority, limited access to those on our waitlist, with pricing starting from £99, or £3 per day.
‘Patients should expect delivery from early July, and further communications will follow.’
Digital health provider Voy has also seen ‘tens of thousands’ of sign-ups from people hoping to access the treatment.
The drug is expected to become available from Voy from early July, with prices starting at £79 per month for the lowest dose.
By comparison, private prescriptions for the injectable version of Wegovy typically cost between £90 and £300 a month, depending on the dose prescribed.
Dr Earim Chaudry, chief medical officer at Voy, told the Mail that Voy is also taking pre-orders for priority shipping of the pill.
He added: ‘Demand has been significant: tens of thousands of people have already joined our waitlist ahead of launch, reflecting the scale of interest following the approval.
‘We expect to begin delivering to eligible patients within weeks, with prices starting from £79.’
Dr Tsogbayar, from Numan, added: ‘Since yesterday’s approval news, we’ve seen a nearly 300 per cent increase in people wanting to find out more, which is huge.
‘Currently, we expect to offer the oral Wegovy Pill to eligible patients from early July available through private prescription – and whilst UK pricing is still being confirmed, we expect it to be comparable to current injectable treatment costs or slightly cheaper.’
James O’Loan, CEO of Chemist4U, said: ‘Yesterday’s approval marked a real milestone in the treatment of obesity in the UK.
‘We are hoping to have weight loss pills available to eligible UK patients in the coming weeks and while there is no confirmed price as of yet, we are hoping that it will be comparable to injections.’
Dr Simon Doyle, GP and policy lead at Juniper UK, said patients can sign up for a consultation with their prescribers and ‘if eligible, receive their medication as soon as stock arrives in the coming weeks’.
Juniper did not confirm an exact price.
Wegovy injections are already available on the NHS, but only for a limited group of patients referred to ‘tier three’ weight-management – those with the greatest need to lose weight.
The Mail has contacted a number of other healthcare providers and retailers expected to stock the drug and will update this article as further details on availability and pricing emerge.
