WEGOVY WEIGHT-LOSS PILL RECEIVES UK REGULATORY APPROVAL

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has approved a once-daily pill version of the weight-loss drug Wegovy in the United Kingdom. The tablet is the first of its kind to receive clearance from the MHRA. Manufacturer Novo Nordisk says the pill offers an alternative to the existing weekly injection for patients using GLP-1 medication. Unlike the injectable form, the tablets do not require refrigeration.

The pill contains semaglutide, which mimics a natural hormone called GLP-1 to suppress appetite and slow digestion. The starting dose is 1.5 mg daily, rising through 4 mg and 9 mg to a maximum of 25 mg, with a minimum of one month at each dose level. Patients already receiving a 2.4 mg semaglutide injection weekly can move directly to the 25 mg daily tablet. The pill must be taken on an empty stomach and is already available in the United States, where Novo Nordisk listed the 1.5 mg starting dose at $149 — approximately £110 — per month.

The tablet will not be available on the NHS until the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence assesses and rules on whether it should be recommended. NICE confirmed that Novo Nordisk had not yet formally approached the organisation, though the two parties are in active dialogue. Several high street and online pharmacies plan to offer the pill through their private prescribing services in the meantime. The UK retail price has not yet been announced. Other pharmaceutical companies are also developing competing products in the same category.