Novo Nordisk’s weight-loss drug recommended by NICE

Novo Nordisk’s weight-loss drug will soon be made available in specialist NHS services, following a recommendation from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

Patients will inject themselves once a week with pens pre-filled with semaglutide, also know as Wegovy. The drug will be offered alongside a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity to adults who have at least one weight-related health condition and a body mass index (BMI) of at least 35kg/m2.

Those with a BMI of between 30-34.9kg/m2 could also be prescribed the drug if they have a weight-related health condition, the agency said.

Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at NICE, said: “For some people losing weight is a real challenge which is why a medicine like semaglutide is a welcome option.

“It won’t be available to everyone. Our committee has made specific recommendations to ensure it remains value for money for the taxpayer, and it can only be used for a maximum of two years."

The drug suppresses patients’ appetites by mimicking an intestinal hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which is released after eating. By making people feel fuller, it should help to reduce overall calorie intake.

NICE’s recommendation, which is required to be implemented by NHS England within three months of the product becoming commercially available, was supported by evidence showing that people lose more weight with Wegovy than with supervised weight-loss coaching alone.

Evidence from the STEP 1 clinical trial, a randomised double-blind trial, showed that participants taking semaglutide lost on average 12% more of their body weight compared with placebo.

In terms of safety, patients reported the main side effects were gastrointestinal disorders including nausea, diarrhoea, constipation and vomiting.

The Health Survey for England 2021 estimates that 25.9% of adults in England are obese and a further 37.9% are overweight, with the government estimating that the current costs of obesity in the UK are £6.1bn to the NHS and £27bn to wider society.

Semaglutide is also found in Novo Nordisk’s type 2 diabetes medicine Ozempic, which lowers blood sugar by increasing the release of insulin from the pancreas when blood sugar is high, decreasing the release of sugar from the liver, and slowing the process of food leaving the stomach after eating.