diabetes drug used by Hollywood actors to lose weight will launch in the UK in the spring, according to a report.
Semaglutide, known as Wegovy in the US, will soon be available in Boots under the brand name Ozempic.
The drug’s manufacturer Novo Nordisk will begin marketing the drug “as soon as possible”, the Mail on Sunday reported.
Users of the “skinny jab” told the newspaper they paid around £180 a month for treatment, though the retail price has not yet been finalised.
Trials conducted by the Danish pharmaceutical firm found that users lost an average of 2.5 stone in comparison with those on the placebo. One in three lost an average of a fifth of their total body weight.
The drug is self-injected into the stomach once a week.
Twitter boss Elon Musk has said he uses the drug to stay in shape, while Kim Kardashian is rumoured to have used semaglutide to shed 7kg to fit into a dress once worn by Marilyn Monroe.
Semaglutide is a synthetic form of a hormone known as GLP-1, which is released by the body when we eat.
The hormone slows down the passage of food from the stomach and suppresses appetite, leading to weight loss.
Over two-thirds of men (68 per cent) aged between 16-75 were classed as overweight or obese in 2019, according to the Health Survey for England.
In draft guidance released last week, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) said those with a BMI of 30 may be able to access semaglutide on the NHS.
The weight-related conditions that could make obese people eligible include high blood pressure, dyslipidaemia (unbalanced or unhealthy cholesterol levels), obstructive sleep apnoea and heart disease.
Nice’s approval is subject to consultation.
Rachel Batterham, lead researcher for the project and professor of obesity, diabetes and endocrinology at University College London, last week described the drug as a “game changer”.
“For the first time, people can achieve through drugs what was only possible through weight-loss surgery.”
A Boots spokesman said: “Wegovy is a prescription-only weight-loss medicine that can help to regulate appetite and reduce cravings.
“It can be an effective medicine to achieve sustained weight loss when used alongside a reduced calorie diet, increased physical activity and healthy lifestyle choices.”
