Wegovy, the weight-loss drug, will become available on the NHS for people with cardiovascular disease, following new draft guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
The drug, which contains semaglutide, will be offered to 1.2 million eligible patients who are overweight or obese and have already experienced a heart attack, stroke or a serious circulation problem in the legs (known as peripheral arterial disease).
A new life-changing treatment option – GLP-1 drug semaglutide known as Wegovy – is set to be available on the NHS within months, with 1.2 million people with cardiovascular disease eligible to receive the treatment. (Image: James Manning/PA)
Helen Williams, national clinical director for cardiovascular disease prevention at NHS England, said: “For more than a million people at high risk of heart attack and stroke, this treatment on the NHS could be life-changing – offering a powerful new way to protect their hearts and improve their health.
“We know that people who have already had a heart attack or stroke face a much higher risk of having another.
“Used alongside a healthy diet and regular exercise, semaglutide could help prevent thousands of future major cardiovascular events and give many people the chance at a longer and healthier life.”
The move builds on existing use of the drug for obesity and type 2 diabetes and forms part of the NHS’s efforts to improve long-term health outcomes and reduce preventable hospital admissions.
Health Minister Sharon Hodgson said: “Weight loss drugs are proving to be a game changer in tackling obesity.
“Extending their use for people who also suffer from cardiovascular disease will be a life saver.
“We are committed to ensuring the NHS makes these drugs available to those who need them most and this new guidance could help more than a million people.”