Patients currently on jabs could switch to tablets (Image: Getty)
The UK’s first GLP-1 pill for weight loss has been approved by the medicines regulator. The daily Wegovy (semaglutide) tablet works in the same way as jabs, mimicking a hormone that helps to control appetite and hunger. It has been approved for use alongside a reduced-calorie diet and exercise to treat adults with obesity.
Julian Beach, executive director of healthcare quality and access at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), said: “Having met the MHRA’s rigorous standards of safety, quality and effectiveness, the semaglutide tablet has been approved in the UK for weight loss and weight management. As with all GLP-1 receptor agonists, this is a prescription-only medication.”
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) will now decide whether the drug should be available on the NHS. The pill, made by Novo Nordisk, must be taken with a sip of water, on an empty stomach after fasting for at least eight hours.
Users must not eat or drink for 30 minutes after a dose, as doing so can reduce absorption of the drug in the body.
The MHRA has approved the drug based on data from a trial where adults were given 25mg per day in addition to diet and exercise.
After 64 weeks, adults taking the pill lost an average of 17% of body weight if they remained on treatment, compared with 3% for people on a dummy drug.
When all participants were included — regardless of if they remained on treatment — the average weight loss was 14%. The most common side-effects of the medicine are gastrointestinal such as nausea, diarrhoea, constipation and vomiting.
Sebnem Avsar Tuna, general manager at Novo Nordisk, said: “This marks an important milestone for obesity care in the UK.
“For the first time, people living with obesity have access to a GLP-1 treatment in a daily pill, allowing them the choice and flexibility of oral treatment to support their long-term weight management.”
The Wegovy injection is used once a week while the pill is taken daily, with a starting dose of 1.5mg. Patients must spend one month at each dose level before escalating to 4mg, 9mg and 25mg.
Pharmacies are expecting high demand (Image: Getty)
People currently treated privately with a 2.4mg Wegovy injection once a week can move straight to 25mg tablets once per day, the MHRA said.
Professor Naveed Sattar, from the University of Glasgow, said the approval was “welcome news for people living with obesity, particularly those who would prefer not to use injections”.
He added: “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.”
James O’Loan, chief executive of Chemist4U, added: “The launch of oral weight loss medications is set to be game-changing for UK patients.
“We’ve already seen record demand ahead of the expected launch of a Wegovy pill in the coming months, with over 10,000 people joining our waiting list for a consultation.
However, Dr Donald Grant, GP and senior clinical advisor at The Independent Pharmacy, said people should “avoid choosing a weight loss treatment based purely on whether it comes as a pill or an injection”.
He added: “While the format is important, it is only one part of the decision. Factors such as suitability to lifestyle, medical history, current medication, potential side effects and how consistently someone can follow the treatment plan should all be taken into account.
“It’s also important to remember that weight loss medication should not be viewed as a standalone solution.”
