Experts warn oversight and proper usage need to be prioritised for the first weight-loss pill of its kind approved for use in the UK.
Industry experts have warned that the pill version of the weight-loss drug Wegovy, recently approved for use in the UK, must be used under proper clinical oversight, as demand soars.
People with a prescription will be able to buy the drug, which has been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) this month, a first for a tablet of this kind.
It is thought that people previously put off by the weekly injection will be keener to try the pill, with online pharmacies already reporting huge waiting lists.
The GLP-1 tablet, which is taken once a day, helps people feel fuller by mimicking a natural hormone released after eating.
The pill is not available on the NHS and would need to undergo a rigorous assessment by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) before such a decision is taken.
It is clear there is demand for such a pill, with Simple Online Healthcare, an online pharmacy specialising in weight management, reporting a waiting list of nearly 60,000.
Abdal Alvi, chief clinical officer at the company, says that for many people, a tablet may feel more familiar and less daunting than an injection, but warns that the pills are still “powerful prescription medicines” that need to be used correctly, alongside lifestyle changes.
“While a tablet may appear simpler, patients should be aware that the tablets work under specific conditions,” he cautioned.
A seismic moment
The Wegovy pill should be taken on an empty stomach after fasting for at least eight hours, and users should then not eat or drink for at least half an hour afterwards.
Alongside diet and lifestyle changes, the tablet may now be prescribed to adults in the UK who have a BMI of 30 or above or who are overweight with a BMI between 27 and 30, with one or more weight-related health conditions.
The MRHA says the starting dose for the semaglutide tablet is 1.5 mg once daily, increasing to 4mg, 9 mg and then 25mg with a minimum duration of one month at each level.
The cost is not yet known, but when the Wegovy pill launched in the US, the starting dose of 1.5mg was listed at $149 a month, equating to around £110.
The development is a “seismic moment” for weight management in the UK, Lisa Tookey, chief executive of CheqUp, which provides weight loss programmes, said.
Tookey added that a pill could support those who are nearing the end of their programme, and might otherwise abruptly stop the injections or taper off alone.
However, she warned that easier access must not mean weaker clinical oversight.
“A tablet format will be easier for cowboys to imitate, but this remains prescription-only medicine,” she said, arguing it is essential that patients undergo a proper assessment, with lifestyle support and ongoing care.
