Novo Nordisk, a Danish pharmaceutical company, has introduced its weight-loss injectable Wegovy in Britain to increase its market share and meet growing demand. Wegovy will be made accessible in the UK “through a controlled and limited launch,” according to the business.
Wegovy has been demonstrated to assist patients in losing about 15% of their body weight when combined with exercise and dietary adjustments.
The injection was offered in the United States, Germany, Norway, Denmark, and Denmark as of July. The debut of Wegovy across the majority of Europe has been delayed as a result of Novo’s failure to fulfill US demand.
The drug’s soaring demand as well as Novo’s extremely successful diabetic medication Ozempic have driven the company’s stock and earnings to all-time highs. The French luxury group’s two-and-a-half-year reign at the top came to an end on Friday when it dethroned LVMH as the most valuable listed business in Europe.
Wegovy has so far been made accessible in the United States, Norway, Denmark, and, as of late July, Germany. It has been demonstrated to help patients lose body weight by around 15% when taken in conjunction with exercise and lifestyle modifications.
Even though it increased manufacturing capacity, the firm has failed to keep up with demand, and its CEO told Reuters last month that it will “take quite some years” before it can fulfill the whole market.
The business claimed in its statement, “We are actively monitoring Wegovy demand and are working with authorities and providers to ensure people living with obesity can access and continue on therapy.
The National Health Service’s (NHS) specialized weight management program is the only setting in which Wegovy is indicated for use in people with at least one weight-related ailment and a body mass index of 35.
According to Novo’s announcement, the medication would be offered “privately through a registered healthcare professional” as well as through the National Health Service’s weight control program.
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In none of the two treatment scenarios suggested by Novo, did it specify how much supply it would make accessible in the UK or how much Wegovy would cost. The medicine can cost as much as $1,350 per month in the US.
What would happen if the medicine was made available to private healthcare providers wasn’t immediately apparent.
The statement read, “As we anticipate supply constraints for the foreseeable future, a portion of the available supply will be allocated for use only within the NHS to enable healthcare professionals to implement NICE guidance.”
Although the launch date for Wegovy wasn’t clear at the time, the British government said in June that it intended to begin a trial program investigating how new weekly weight-loss injections like Wegovy may be administered to obese patients by general practitioners.