UK launch of groundbreaking weight loss jab pushed back indefinitely amid concerns
The UK launch of a groundbreaking 'weight loss jab' has been pushed back indefinitely amid concerns.
Obesity experts and pharmacists had originally expected the 'game-changing' jab to be available this week in the UK, but unfortunately it has been delayed.
Manufacturer Novo Nordisk confirmed they they will make the drug available 'as soon as possible', although a release date is yet to be announced.
The company said in a statement: "Novo Nordisk has not confirmed a launch date for Wegovy (semaglutide 2.4mg) in the UK.
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"We are working to make Wegovy available in the UK as soon as possible."
Semaglutide, also known as Wegovy, is a natural hormone that induces a feeling of fullness and has demonstrated its effectiveness in weight reduction trials, with participants experiencing a reduction of more than 10 percent in body weight.
The drug is given in the form of weekly injections and is prescribed by doctors for weight loss.
Concerns arose over the drug's supply, with clinics intending to dispense the jabs saying they had been told that the company was concerned to ensure enough supply of the drug, rather than seeing courses of treatment interrupted.
It was expected to be made available to around four million people on the NHS.
Ian Strachan, owner of Strachan’s Chemists in the north-west, said the delay of the launch was 'frustrating'.
He said to The Times: "Naturally it’s a disappointment. We are prepared and ready to go on this. It’s a clinic that we are used to, we have done it before and we understand the process very well."
"It would have been a lot more convenient for patients and would probably achieve a higher level of compliance as well. It’s also cheaper. So there would have been a cost-benefit for patients as well, and the NHS."
The launch of Wegovy was first announced back in March of this year by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.
It was recommended to thousands of people with high blood pressure, who were expected to seek it privately.
The drug is already available in the UK with the name Ozempic, as a treatment for diabetes.
Semaglutide has been available in the US for the last two years, but for an extortionate amount of $1,300 (£1,000) per month.
It has been made more cost-effective for individuals in the UK, with a monthly price estimated at around £125.
A spokesperson at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) told LADbible: "Weight loss can help people living with obesity to live longer, healthier lives, and Semaglutide will provide a new treatment option to help people living with severe obesity, alongside lifestyle interventions, to lose weight."
Rashi Agarwal