New weight loss pill that sheds 11% of body weight approved for UK
You wait years for weight loss pills to be available in the United Kingdom and then two come within a matter of months.
Weight-loss medication has exploded in popularity in the United Kingdom, with millions understood to be taking 'fat jabs' to help deal with diseases like obesity and diabetes.
But injecting yourself with the drug isn't for everyone, especially those with needle phobias, so there has been a clamour for the pill form of the medication to be available.
Orgorglipron is the second such oral drug to be approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) for use in the UK following the Wegovy pill being given the green light in June.
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Both are produced by Novo Nordisk and neither are yet available on the NHS as more tests are required first, including an evaluation by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), but it can be offered privately.
There is not yet an official timeline for when orgorglipron will become available, though it took less than a month for the Wegovy pill to be rolled out following its approval.
According to the Daily Mail, a trial in 2025 found that orgorglipron helped patients shift 12.4 per cent of their body wait after 16 months using the medication. That equals to about two stone.
The UK is the first European nation to give approval to orforglipron.
Who will be able to take orforglipron
Weight-loss medication are known as GLP-1s and operates by emulating the hormone of the same name which is released when you eat, thus tricking the brain into thinking a person is more full than they might actually be.
However, there are side effects, with the main ones from taking orforglipron including diarrhoea, constipation, nausea, vomiting, indigestion and stomach pains.
It will be available to people who have a body mass index (BMI) of over 30, which is classed as obese, or with a BMI of 27 and a weight-related health issue.
Patients who suffer from type 2 diabetes and need help controlling their blood sugar levels will also qualify for a prescription.
"Following rigorous assessment of orforglipron's safety, quality, and effectiveness, we are pleased to be the first regulator in Europe to authorise this tablet for weight management and type 2 diabetes," said Julian Beach, the MHRA's executive director of healthcare quality and access.
"As with all GLP-1 receptor agonists, this is a prescription-only medication, and the MHRA will keep the safety and effectiveness of orforglipron under close review."
The MHRA say orforglipron will only be available from a registered pharmacy with a doctor's prescription and warned against buying them from unofficial sellers.
It was added: "Buying GLP-1 medicines from unregulated sellers carries serious health risks."
Warning over taking fake weight loss pills
The MHRA's warning echoes that of pharmacists, who were concerned about the rise of the weight loss pill black market following Wegovy becoming available in the UK.
The National Pharmacy Association (NPA) surveyed 310 pharmacies and found that 97 per cent were worried of an increase in fake weight-loss pills being sold after the Wegovy pill's arrival.
Olivier Picard, chairman of the NPA, said: “As this survey shows, pharmacies are concerned about a dangerous and growing black market for weight-loss medicines, with tablet form of medication likely to be easier for criminals to counterfeit.
“Patients should be wary of sites offering medicines at a cost that is too good to be true or providers who are not offering consultations before prescribing.
“If anyone is concerned by a medicine they have bought online, they should speak to their local pharmacist for advice.
“Weight loss medication is not a silver bullet and won’t be suitable for all patients, but it can help those who are eligible achieve a healthy weight, along with sustained changes to diet and lifestyle.”
Daniel Murphy