UK's NHS Prescribes Weight-Loss Drug Wegovy Less Than Expected Due To Service Shortages

The National Health Service (NHS) has prescribed Novo Nordisk A/S’s NVO weight-loss drug Wegovy far less often than anticipated, struggling with a shortage of weight management clinics required to distribute the popular treatment.

Since its launch, the drug has been prescribed just 3,300 times, significantly below the 13,500 patients expected to receive it in its first year, according to a Financial Times analysis of NHS England data.

Demand for Wegovy is set to increase following the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency’s (MHRA) approval for its use in reducing the risk of serious heart problems or strokes in overweight and obese adults.

Despite this, the drug is in short supply internationally. The NHS has prioritized supplies of Ozempic, another drug by Novo Nordisk that uses the same active ingredient but is designated for type-2 diabetes, over Wegovy.

Also Read: Craze For Ozempic And Zepbound For Weight Loss Leave Diabetic Patients Without Critical GLP-1 Medications.

The shortfall in Wegovy prescriptions is also attributed to the lack of specialist NHS weight-loss services.

According to the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines, the NHS can prescribe Wegovy through these services to people with a BMI over 35 or over 30 with another weight-related condition for up to two years.

However, there are only around 20 of these “tier 3” services across the U.K., with some NHS trusts reporting long waiting lists.

NHS prescriptions of Wegovy have increased each month since its approval in the U.K. last year, reaching approximately 770 in April.

This number is likely to rise further, with an estimated 4 million Britons expected to meet the drug guidelines by 2027.

NICE anticipates nearly 50,000 patients annually will receive semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy, via the NHS.

Despite prioritizing Ozempic supply to ensure type-2 diabetes patients receive necessary treatment, citing Novo Nordisk, the FT report stated it has “made it a priority to provide a protected supply of Wegovy to the NHS.”

However, the company did not disclose the number of drugs available through the health service.

In the U.K., GLP-1 drugs, including Wegovy, are expected to be in short supply until at least the end of 2024.

Price Action: NVO shares are trading lower by 1.46% to $131.34 at the last check on Wednesday.

Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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