UK Approves First Oral GLP-1 Weight‑Loss Pill

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved semaglutide (Wegovy) tablets as the United Kingdom’s first oral GLP‑1 medication for weight loss and management. The prescription‑only tablet is intended for adults with a body‑mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, or a BMI of 27‑30 with at least one weight‑related comorbidity. Treatment starts at 1.5 mg once daily and can be increased stepwise to 4 mg, 9 mg and finally 25 mg, with a minimum one‑month period at each dose level.

Patients currently receiving private Wegovy injections (2.4 mg weekly) may switch directly to the 25 mg tablet. The drug will be sold through private channels initially; an NHS evaluation by NICE is pending. Clinical trials showed participants on the 25 mg dose lost an average 17 % of body weight over 64 weeks, compared with 3 % on placebo, with a mean reduction of 14 % when accounting for all participants. The most common adverse events were gastrointestinal (nausea, diarrhoea, constipation, vomiting). Officials from the MHRA, Novo Nordisk and academic experts highlighted the importance of expanding treatment options for the UK’s high obesity rates.