‘Game-changing’ weight loss injection favoured by celebs set to be dished out on NHS

A WEIGHT loss jab favoured by celebs is set to be dished out on the NHS.

Wegovy contains the drug semaglutide, which is said to have helped reality star Kim Kardashian and Twitter boss Elon Musk shed the pounds.

It will soon be available on prescription to thousands with obesity.

While originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes, the jab has also been hailed for its appetite-suppressing effects.

Studies show it helped a third of people reduce their weight by 20 per cent.

Helen Knight, director of medicines evaluation at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, said: “For some people, losing weight is a real challenge which is why a medicine like semaglutide is a welcome option.”

It will be dished out from specialist weight loss clinics at a standard prescription charge of £9.35 with the NHS paying the rest.

It will go to patients with a BMI of at least 35 that suffer from weight-related conditions.

Obese patients with BMIs of at least 30 could also be offered it if they are already eligible for specialist weight management on the NHS.

Semaglutide is already available privately for weight loss at around £130, and will soon also be available to some less obese patients via Boots as well.

The weekly injection works by suppressing the appetite — mimicking a naturally occurring hormone that is released after eating.

One in four adults in England and one in three in Scotland are living with obesity, with another two thirds of British people being overweight.

Obesity costs the NHS a massive £6billion a year, which is set to rise to more than £9.7billion by 2050, according to the Department of Health and Social Care.

Telly GP Dr Sarah Jarvis said: “This is not a magic bullet. It won’t work if patients don’t also look at diet and exercise.

“But it will help, no question. Studies have shown it helps people lose up to a fifth of their body weight. In trials, half lost 15 per cent of their weight, which is huge.

“If we can help people to lose 20 per cent of their weight and, crucially, keep it off, it will make a significant difference to the NHS.

“I’ve had patients that have taken drugs like this and have found that as they lose weight, it gets easier to exercise. It can be the push in the right direction they need.”

Sun columnist Jeremy Clarkson has hailed the drug “genuinely incredible” after using it to ward off type 2 diabetes, saying it had a huge impact on his appetite.

“I can open the fridge, where there’s half a chicken and a juicy bottle of rose, and I want neither,” he wrote in the Sunday Times.

The weekly injection works by suppressing the appetite – mimicking a naturally occurring hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1, which is usually released after eating.

As a result patients feel fuller for longer, and reduce the number of calories they eat.

But it can come with a range of side effects, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea.

Other rare complications include gallbladder problems, kidney failure, serious allergic reaction and depression.

The drugs will only be prescribed by specialist NHS weight-loss centres and should not be taken without the oversight of doctors, doctors warned.

Professor Nick Finer, of University College London, said: “It is gratifying to see that semaglutide has been approved to help patients living with obesity improve their health.

“Semaglutide is a true game changer for the medical treatment of obesity, a chronic disease that shortens life through its many complications.”

Dr Simon Cork, of Anglia Ruskin University, said: “This will be welcome news to the millions of people who struggle to lose weight and maintain that lower body weight.”

Tony Quinn, of eating disorder charity Beat, said: “Weight-loss medications like semaglutide can be extremely attractive to people with eating disorders as they appear to provide quick results. 

“However, these medications can be very dangerous as they can worsen harmful thoughts and behaviours for those unwell, or contribute to an eating disorder developing for someone who is already vulnerable.

“It’s crucial that an eating disorder screening is carried out for every individual and that people with eating disorders are not able to access a prescription.

“There must also be more education about the dangers of using medication to lose weight.”