Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on March 31, 2026
2 min readLast updated: April 1, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleThe UK’s NICE has endorsed Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy (semaglutide 2.4 mg) for reducing major heart risks in overweight or obese adults, marking it the first GLP‑1 therapy approved for this indication in the NHS.
April 1 (Reuters) - UK's drug cost-effectiveness watchdog has recommended Novo Nordisk's Wegovy to reduce the risk of serious heart problems or strokes in obese or overweight adults, becoming the first GLP-1 drug to be endorsed for this use.
With the recommendation from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), a 2.4-milligram dose of the will be available through the state-run National Health Service, Novo said on Wednesday.
Wegovy will be incorporated within existing cardiovascular treatment pathways, allowing doctors to consider the drug alongside standard therapies for the secondary prevention of heart problems in overweight or obese adults, the company said.
NICE's recommendation was based on a study that involved more than 17,600 people, which showed Wegovy reduced the risk of major cardiovascular events by 20%, compared with placebo.
In 2024, Wegovy got UK regulatory approval to cut the risk of major cardiovascular events in obese or overweight adults with preexisting heart disease, though access was limited to patients paying out-of-pocket when prescribed for that use.
Around one in every four adults in the UK is estimated to be living with obesity, according to the NHS.
Rival Eli Lilly wants the UK to regularly raise NHS drug prices and phase out a multi-billion-pound rebate scheme if it is to resume investment, the Financial Times reported on Monday, citing an interview with Lilly's international businesses president, Patrik Jonsson.
Lilly had raised the UK list price for its weight-loss drug, Mounjaro, by up to 170% last year, amid pressure from President Donald Trump's administration to get drugmakers to raise medicine prices in Europe to allow for price cuts in the U.S.
Wegovy, chemically known as semaglutide, belongs to a class of medicines called GLP-1 receptor agonists.
Originally developed to help control blood sugar in patients with type 2 diabetes, it was also found to suppress appetite and promote a feeling of fullness.
(Reporting by Mariam Sunny in Bengaluru; Editing by Shreya Biswas)
NICE recommended Novo Nordisk's Wegovy for reducing the risk of serious heart problems or strokes in obese or overweight adults.
Obese or overweight adults at risk of cardiovascular events can access a 2.4-mg dose of Wegovy through the NHS.
A study of over 17,600 people showed Wegovy reduced the risk of major cardiovascular events by 20% compared to placebo.
Wegovy is a GLP-1 receptor agonist, originally developed to control blood sugar in type 2 diabetes patients.
According to the NHS, about one in every four adults in the UK is living with obesity.
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