Prescribing of Semaglutide (Wegovy®) for weight loss is restricted to tier 3 and 4 weight management services at St George’s hospital, in line with the criteria set and therefore should not be issued in primary care
On 8 March 2023, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published guidance recommendations [TA875] on semaglutide (Wegovy®) for managing overweight and obesity within specialist weight management services (including Tier 3 and 4), in line with specific criteria.
At the time of the NICE publication, Wegovy® was not commercially available in the UK. Novo Nordisk, the company that manufactures Wegovy®, have confirmed that from 4 September 2023, it will be available in the UK through a controlled and limited launch.
NICE has updated [TA875] to reflect the commercial agreement that is now in place for this preparation.
Semaglutide (Wegovy®) belongs to a class of medications known as glucagon-like peptide 1 mimetic (GLP-1), which currently are subject to global shortages. This means that supplies of Wegovy® are likely to be constrained for the foreseeable future, however, Novo Nordisk has confirmed that a proportion of available supply will be allocated for use only within the NHS, to allow healthcare professionals to implement NICE guidance. We are awaiting further guidance from NHS England in relation to:
- How much supply will be allocated to South West London (SWL).
- Identification of the groups with the highest unmet medical need who will benefit most from the limited launch of Wegovy®.
Once the above information is received, SWL weight loss specialist services will review existing weight loss treatment pathways and referral guidelines to include Wegovy® as a treatment option.
In the interim, patients in primary care should not be prescribed Wegovy® or any other Semaglutide preparations for weight loss. It is also important not to refer patients to secondary care to access Wegovy® until a clear pathway is approved for use across SWL Integrated Care System.
The Department of Health and Social Care Media Centre have produced a blog called ‘Accessing Wegovy for weight loss: Everything you need to know’.
PDF of Semaglutide (Wegovy®) for weight management position statement