The launch of a new weight loss pill in the UK is an "exciting" milestone as the country faces an obesity “ticking bomb”, the boss of Wegovy has told ITV News.
The Wegovy pill, made by Novo Nordisk, is the first GLP-1 tablet to be approved in the UK.
ITV News has been given exclusive access to the factory in Copenhagen manufacturing the pills destined for the UK.
The once-a-day semaglutide pill is prescription-only and is now available privately in the UK.
Pharmacists or doctors can prescribe it to adults with a body mass index (BMI) of at least 30, or to those who are overweight and have a related health condition, such as high blood pressure.
“There is very little understanding that this is a chronic disease,” Mike Doustdar, the CEO of Novo Nordisk, said in an exclusive interview with ITV News.
“I think the pill is giving people more options – so it’s really exciting for us.”
Novo Nordisk is now producing millions of the tablets every week for British patients.
In his first interview with a UK broadcaster, the boss of the pharmaceutical company described the fact that there are 16 million adults in the UK living with obesity as “staggering”.
“It is a ticking bomb," Mr Doustdar said. "It has to start getting addressed today.”
Around 1.6 million people in the UK have used weight loss injections.
It is thought that oral GLP-1s, with no need for refrigeration or needles, could be more convenient for people who need to lose weight for health reasons.
The medication works by reducing food cravings and helping people feel fuller by mimicking the natural hormone released after eating.
Mr Doustdar denied that the pill was a “panacea” for obesity but insisted it would provide people with “optionality”.
A private prescription for Wegovy injections can cost hundreds of pounds a month, so it was hoped the pill version of the drug might provide a more affordable alternative.
However, Mr Doustdar revealed to us that the pill is “not cheaper” to manufacture than their injection pens, dampening hopes that the tablets will cost less, though he insisted that Novo Nordisk’s obesity drugs are not just “for the rich”.
The pill has not yet been assessed for use on the NHS.
Novo Nordisk says it will share the data on “the benefits” and “the side effects” with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), the organisation that decides which medicines are funded by the NHS.
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