GLPwatch
Time to unshackle the medical treatment of obesity in the NHS.
Clin Med (Lond) · 2024
Last updated 2026-05-28In the UK, obesity affects about 25% of people and costs the NHS around £6.5 billion each year. The NHS has approved and funded two GLP-1 drugs, Saxenda (3.0 mg daily) and Wegovy (2.4 mg weekly), for treating obesity for up to 2 years, but supply shortages have made these drugs unavailable in some areas. Local data shows Saxenda helps reduce body weight and improve blood sugar control in people with obesity and diabetes. Patients report frustration over not being able to access these approved treatments due to supply issues and funding limits.
AI summary of the abstract below.
| Journal | Clin Med (Lond), 2024 |
|---|---|
| Citations | 4 |
| Relative citation ratio | 1.00 |
| NIH percentile | 50 |
| Molecules | — |
| Conditions studied | Obesity |
Abstract
Obesity affects one in four people in the United Kingdom and costs the National Health Service (NHS) ∼£6.5 billion annually. The glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor analogues, such as once-daily subcutaneous Liraglutide 3.0 mg (Saxenda®) and once-weekly subcutaneous Semaglutide 2.4 mg (Wegovy®), were approved by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) as a treatment for obesity and funded by the NHS for 2 years. Our local data shows that Saxenda is effective at reducing body weight and glycaemia in people with obesity and diabetes; however, the supply issues of GLP-1 receptor analogues have contributed to the unavailability of Saxenda and Wegovy in our service. Our patients are devastated that they cannot access NICE-approved GLP-1 receptor analogues for obesity. The 2-year GLP-1 receptor analogue treatment limit for obesity alongside a lack of funded NHS services and supply issues represent barriers to treatment for people living with obesity who have clear medical indications.
Verbatim abstract via PubMed 38643826 ↗