NHS pilot to test widening access to anti-obesity drugs

A £40m two-year government pilot is to test how cutting-edge anti-obesity drugs can be made more widely available outside of hospital settings.

The initiative will see adults with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of at least 35 and one weight-related health condition – such as diabetes or high blood pressure – being offered access to the drug Semaglutide (or Wegovy).

Other drugs currently under consideration in clinical trials may also be included in the programme in time.

When prescribed alongside diet, physical activity and behavioural support, people taking a weight-loss drug can lose up to 15% of their body weight after one year, the Department of Health and Social Care has said.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which earlier this year recommended the use of Semaglutide, advised it should only be made available via specialist weight management services, which are largely hospital-based.

However, this would mean only around 35,000 people would have access to Wegovy, when tens of thousands more could be eligible.

The pilot programme will therefore explore how approved anti-obesity drugs can be made safely available to more people by expanding specialist weight management services outside hospital settings.

This, the government has said, could include looking at how GPs could safely prescribe these drugs and how the NHS can provide support in the community or digitally.

Health and social care secretary Steve Barclay said: “Obesity costs the NHS around £6.5 billion a year and is the second biggest cause of cancer. This next generation of obesity drugs have the potential to help people lose significant amounts of weight, when prescribed with exercise, diet and behavioural support.

“Tackling obesity will help to reduce pressure on the NHS and cut waiting times, one of the government’s five priorities, and this pilot will help people live longer, healthier lives,” he added.

NICE is also considering potential NHS use of another drug known as Tirzepatide. This is currently licensed to treat diabetes but may also help with weight loss.