NHS to Offer Wegovy to 1.2 Million High-Risk Patients

England's National Health Service will soon provide the weight-loss drug Wegovy, containing the active ingredient semaglutide, to approximately 1.2 million adults at high risk of heart attacks and strokes, following a recommendation from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. The decision, announced at the end of March, expands access to the weekly injection for patients with a body mass index of 27 or higher who have previously experienced a heart attack, stroke or peripheral arterial disease, a condition that impairs blood flow in the legs. Rollout is expected to begin this summer, with patients self-administering the drug at home via a pen injector.

Clinical trials, including a large study led by University College London and published in The Lancet involving 17,604 participants, demonstrated that semaglutide reduces the risk of major cardiovascular events by about 20 percent compared to a placebo. Notably, these benefits appeared before significant weight loss, indicating the drug likely acts directly on the heart and blood vessels rather than solely through weight reduction. The treatment will be prescribed alongside existing medications such as statins or...