Latest news with #JasonHalford
Scottish Sun
3 days ago
- Health
- Scottish Sun
Forget needles, fat-jab PILLS are here: Why they're cheaper, how much weight you could lose & the side effects revealed
From mimicking the effects of a gastric bypass op and gastric balloons to harnessing the science behind Wegovy and Mounjaro, scientists tell us these pills could prove to be an even bigger deal than their jab counterparts... NEW ERA Forget needles, fat-jab PILLS are here: Why they're cheaper, how much weight you could lose & the side effects revealed Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) EVERYONE'S talking about fat jabs - the 'miracle' injections trimming inches off waistlines, and helping turn the tide on the obesity epidemic. But what if there was an even easier - and cheaper - way than Ozempic-like injections, Wegovy and Mounjaro? 4 Slimming tablets have been around for decades - but now scientists want to harness the new momentum in obesity medicine to bring them back with a bang Credit: Getty 4 Rival company Eli Lilly, which makes Mounjaro (tirzepatide) announced the results of its pill orforglipron in April Credit: Getty Science sits still for no slimmer and already, the next big thing is looming large on the horizon - and it could be as simple as popping a pill. Slimming tablets have been around for decades, but now scientists want to harness the new momentum in obesity medicine - and use the billions being made from the jabs - to bring pills back with a bang. Professor Jason Halford, of the European Association for the Study of Obesity, tells Sun Health: 'I think pills will eventually replace injections. 'People don't particularly like them and they're a bit afraid of injecting themselves. 'You've got to have the device, the needle, the sharps bin, it's got to be refrigerated, there are all sorts of challenges. 'If you can move it all to a tablet you can increase acceptance and hopefully it will be cheaper and become more widely available.' Professor Richard Donnelly, editor of the medical journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, and clinical adviser at online weight loss clinic Juniper, agrees. 'Thirty years ago weight loss tablets had a terrible reputation and nobody really wanted to prescribe them,' he adds. 'They had rare but severe side effects and weren't particularly effective. 'Now there is a whole flood of development and a lot to be optimistic about. Weight Loss Jabs - Pros vs Cons 'There is a big hope that developing pills will improve accessibility and cost less.' There are several pills in development - some stimulate the same hormones as jabs to make us feel full, while others mimic bariatric surgery. The end goal is the same - to do what willpower alone fails to achieve and stop us eating so much. While some are yet to even be trialled in humans, one has already been submitted for approval in the US, meaning they could be available before the end of the year. 4 There's even a weight loss pill in development that will emulate a gastric bypass Credit: Getty The most advanced pills being made are by the same companies behind the fat jabs. Novo Nordisk, creator of Wegovy and Ozempic, has developed a tablet version of semaglutide, the active drug in those injections. It applied for approval from the US Food and Drugs Administration last month. Trials showed patients lost an average of 15 per cent of their bodyweight over 17 months on a 50mg daily dose, compared with eight per cent over 12 months on Wegovy. Participants were three times more likely to achieve 'meaningful' weight loss when they were taking the pill, compared to those not taking the tablet. Rival company Eli Lilly, which makes Mounjaro (tirzepatide) announced the results of its pill orforglipron in April. The two drugs both work by stimulating GLP-1 hormones that make you feel full. What are the other side effects of weight loss jabs? Like any medication, weight loss jabs can have side effects. Common side effects of injections such as Ozempic include: Nausea: This is the most commonly reported side effect, especially when first starting the medication. It often decreases over time as your body adjusts. Vomiting: Can occur, often in conjunction with nausea. Diarrhea: Some people experience gastrointestinal upset. Constipation: Some individuals may also experience constipation. Stomach pain or discomfort: Some people may experience abdominal pain or discomfort. Reduced appetite: This is often a desired effect for people using Ozempic for weight loss. Indigestion: Can cause a feeling of bloating or discomfort after eating. Serious side effects can also include: Pancreatitis: In rare cases, Ozempic may increase the risk of inflammation of the pancreas, known as pancreatitis, which can cause severe stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting. Kidney problems: There have been reports of kidney issues, including kidney failure, though this is uncommon. Thyroid tumors: There's a potential increased risk of thyroid cancer, although this risk is based on animal studies. It is not confirmed in humans, but people with a history of thyroid cancer should avoid Ozempic. Vision problems: Rapid changes in blood sugar levels may affect vision, and some people have reported blurry vision when taking Ozempic. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar): Especially if used with other medications like sulfonylureas or insulin. Patients taking 36mg of orforglipron lost eight per cent of their bodyweight in 10 months, equating to 1st 2lbs from an average starting weight of 14st 3lbs – while participants taking a placebo lost just 3lbs. It compares with 15 per cent weight loss in a year on Mounjaro. Lilly said their pill 'could be readily manufactured and launched at scale for use around the world'. But injections and pills have not been compared head-to-head yet. Studies are ongoing and taking the science behind these game-changing jabs and applying it to tablets, does not guarantee success. Pfizer abandoned the development of its drug lotiglipron in 2023 when a trial indicated potential liver damage as a side effect. Drugs tend to be more easily absorbed by the body when they are injected directly into the bloodstream, compared to being digested through the gut. And that's another key consideration - what the potential side effects of these new pills could be. Unpleasant side effects were the downfall of the old generation of slimming pills. 4 Novo Nordisk, creator of Wegovy and Ozempic, has developed a tablet version of semaglutide, the active drug in those injections Credit: Getty The NHS has prescribed a pill called orlistat for years, dishing out £12million worth of it in England last year. It works by preventing the gut from absorbing fat from food - but it means fat must be passed out in poo instead of digested. This can lead to flatulence, more regular bowel movements and diarrhoea. It can also cause bladder pains and breathing troubles - and weight loss doesn't match up to the jabs. About eight in 10 patients suffer at least one side effect when using injections, most commonly tummy upset, according to trials. Everything you need to know about fat jabs Weight loss jabs are all the rage as studies and patient stories reveal they help people shed flab at almost unbelievable rates, as well as appearing to reduce the risk of serious diseases. Wegovy – a modified version of type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic – and Mounjaro are the leading weight loss injections used in the UK. Wegovy, real name semaglutide, has been used on the NHS for years while Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a newer and more powerful addition to the market. Mounjaro accounts for most private prescriptions for weight loss and is set to join Wegovy as an NHS staple this year. How do they work? The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less so your body burns fat for energy instead and you lose weight. They do this my mimicking a hormone called GLP-1, which signals to the brain when the stomach is full, so the drugs are officially called GLP-1 receptor agonists. They slow down digestion and increase insulin production, lowering blood sugar, which is why they were first developed to treat type 2 diabetes in which patients' sugar levels are too high. Can I get them? NHS prescriptions of weight loss drugs, mainly Wegovy and an older version called Saxenda (chemical name liraglutide), are controlled through specialist weight loss clinics. Typically a patient will have to have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, classifying them as medically obese, and also have a weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure. GPs generally do not prescribe the drugs for weight loss. Private prescribers offer the jabs, most commonly Mounjaro, to anyone who is obese (BMI of 30+) or overweight (BMI 25-30) with a weight-related health risk. Private pharmacies have been rapped for handing them out too easily and video calls or face-to-face appointments are now mandatory to check a patient is being truthful about their size and health. Are there any risks? Yes – side effects are common but most are relatively mild. Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea. Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at said: 'One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.' Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia. Evidence has so far been inconclusive about whether the injections are damaging to patients' mental health. Figures obtained by The Sun show that, up to January 2025, 85 patient deaths in the UK were suspected to be linked to the medicines. Early data suggests pills might have similar rates. Around six per cent of people taking any of Lilly or Novo Nordisk's pills or injections quit the medicines because of side effects. Dr Leyla Hannbeck, of the Independent Pharmacies Association, says: 'The old generation drugs tended to be uncomfortable for a lot of people whereas these new ones are much more effective. 'All medicines will have side effects but the fact that the results are much better now means people are more willing to endure them.' Prof Donnelly said he still does not expect new tablets to be as strong as jabs, adding: 'I don't think anybody believes these will cause the same level of weight loss that you might be reporting with Mounjaro. 'The flipside of that is that major weight loss might not all be good. 'Some of that might be muscle and if you lose 30 per cent of your body weight that is a fairly major transformation. 'Having an oral agent that reduces your weight by, say, 10 or 15 per cent, might actually be more sustainable, better tolerated and medically safer in some respects.' While the GLP-1 tablets are likely to be first to market, inventors are also working on a daily pill that mimics the effects of gastric bypass surgery. 'GASTRIC BYPASS' PILL US company Syntis Bio's offering, named Synt-101 creates a 24-hour lining in the gut that means food cannot be absorbed in the top six inches of the small intestine. Rather, digestion is redirected to the lower areas of the gut, where hormones that tell the brain we are full, are triggered faster. Working in a similar vein to surgery, it means patients feel fuller faster - and the lining is passed when the patient goes to the loo the next day. Synt-101 has passed its first human safety tests and is expected to enter a full-scale clinical trial next year. Another pill in development, Sirona, is made by UK-based Oxford Medical Products, and contains a 'dual polymer hydrogel' that expands in the stomach when it comes into contact with water. It works like a gastric balloon, filling the patient's tummy making them feel full for hours, but is passed in their stools 'several days' later. Early data from an NHS trial found patients lost 10 to 12 per cent in a year of treatment and there were no serious side effects. Experts believe weight loss pills will serve a variety of purposes - as a follow-on treatment after stopping fat jabs, as an option for those who can't or don't want to use jabs and for people with less severe obesity, and less weight to lose. There are hopes they will be less toxic than injections, which often cause side effects like stomach aches, vomiting or diarrhoea. Weight regain after treatment is also an emerging issue with the jabs, which can currently only be prescribed for up to two years in the UK. Rahul Dhanda, chief executive of Syntis Bio, said: 'Patients don't want to be stuck on a revolving door of injections and their side effects; they want to be on a manageable and sustainable weight loss path. 'Oral drugs that are simple, tolerable and safe will be the rational choice for maintenance therapy.'
The Sun
3 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Forget needles, fat-jab PILLS are here: Why they're cheaper, how much weight you could lose & the side effects revealed
EVERYONE'S talking about fat jabs - the 'miracle' injections trimming inches off waistlines, and helping turn the tide on the obesity epidemic. But what if there was an even easier - and cheaper - way than Ozempic -like injections, Wegovy and Mounjaro? Science sits still for no slimmer and already, the next big thing is looming large on the horizon - and it could be as simple as popping a pill. Slimming tablets have been around for decades, but now scientists want to harness the new momentum in obesity medicine - and use the billions being made from the jabs - to bring pills back with a bang. Professor Jason Halford, of the European Association for the Study of Obesity, tells Sun Health: 'I think pills will eventually replace injections. 'People don't particularly like them and they're a bit afraid of injecting themselves. 'You've got to have the device, the needle, the sharps bin, it's got to be refrigerated, there are all sorts of challenges. 'If you can move it all to a tablet you can increase acceptance and hopefully it will be cheaper and become more widely available.' Professor Richard Donnelly, editor of the medical journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, and clinical adviser at online weight loss clinic Juniper, agrees. 'Thirty years ago weight loss tablets had a terrible reputation and nobody really wanted to prescribe them,' he adds. 'They had rare but severe side effects and weren't particularly effective. 'Now there is a whole flood of development and a lot to be optimistic about. Weight Loss Jabs - Pros vs Cons 'There is a big hope that developing pills will improve accessibility and cost less.' There are several pills in development - some stimulate the same hormones as jabs to make us feel full, while others mimic bariatric surgery. The end goal is the same - to do what willpower alone fails to achieve and stop us eating so much. While some are yet to even be trialled in humans, one has already been submitted for approval in the US, meaning they could be available before the end of the year. 4 The most advanced pills being made are by the same companies behind the fat jabs. Novo Nordisk, creator of Wegovy and Ozempic, has developed a tablet version of semaglutide, the active drug in those injections. It applied for approval from the US Food and Drugs Administration last month. Trials showed patients lost an average of 15 per cent of their bodyweight over 17 months on a 50mg daily dose, compared with eight per cent over 12 months on Wegovy. Participants were three times more likely to achieve 'meaningful' weight loss when they were taking the pill, compared to those not taking the tablet. Rival company Eli Lilly, which makes Mounjaro (tirzepatide) announced the results of its pill orforglipron in April. The two drugs both work by stimulating GLP-1 hormones that make you feel full. What are the other side effects of weight loss jabs? Like any medication, weight loss jabs can have side effects. Common side effects of injections such as Ozempic include: Nausea: This is the most commonly reported side effect, especially when first starting the medication. It often decreases over time as your body adjusts. Vomiting: Can occur, often in conjunction with nausea. Diarrhea: Some people experience gastrointestinal upset. Constipation: Some individuals may also experience constipation. Stomach pain or discomfort: Some people may experience abdominal pain or discomfort. Reduced appetite: This is often a desired effect for people using Ozempic for weight loss. Indigestion: Can cause a feeling of bloating or discomfort after eating. Serious side effects can also include: Pancreatitis: In rare cases, Ozempic may increase the risk of inflammation of the pancreas, known as pancreatitis, which can cause severe stomach pain, nausea, and vomiting. Kidney problems: There have been reports of kidney issues, including kidney failure, though this is uncommon. Thyroid tumors: There's a potential increased risk of thyroid cancer, although this risk is based on animal studies. It is not confirmed in humans, but people with a history of thyroid cancer should avoid Ozempic. Vision problems: Rapid changes in blood sugar levels may affect vision, and some people have reported blurry vision when taking Ozempic. Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar): Especially if used with other medications like sulfonylureas or insulin. Patients taking 36mg of orforglipron lost eight per cent of their bodyweight in 10 months, equating to 1st 2lbs from an average starting weight of 14st 3lbs – while participants taking a placebo lost just 3lbs. It compares with 15 per cent weight loss in a year on Mounjaro. Lilly said their pill 'could be readily manufactured and launched at scale for use around the world'. But injections and pills have not been compared head-to-head yet. Studies are ongoing and taking the science behind these game-changing jabs and applying it to tablets, does not guarantee success. Pfizer abandoned the development of its drug lotiglipron in 2023 when a trial indicated potential liver damage as a side effect. Drugs tend to be more easily absorbed by the body when they are injected directly into the bloodstream, compared to being digested through the gut. And that's another key consideration - what the potential side effects of these new pills could be. Unpleasant side effects were the downfall of the old generation of slimming pills. 4 The NHS has prescribed a pill called orlistat for years, dishing out £12million worth of it in England last year. It works by preventing the gut from absorbing fat from food - but it means fat must be passed out in poo instead of digested. This can lead to flatulence, more regular bowel movements and diarrhoea. It can also cause bladder pains and breathing troubles - and weight loss doesn't match up to the jabs. About eight in 10 patients suffer at least one side effect when using injections, most commonly tummy upset, according to trials. Everything you need to know about fat jabs Weight loss jabs are all the rage as studies and patient stories reveal they help people shed flab at almost unbelievable rates, as well as appearing to reduce the risk of serious diseases. Wegovy – a modified version of type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic – and Mounjaro are the leading weight loss injections used in the UK. Wegovy, real name semaglutide, has been used on the NHS for years while Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a newer and more powerful addition to the market. Mounjaro accounts for most private prescriptions for weight loss and is set to join Wegovy as an NHS staple this year. How do they work? The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less so your body burns fat for energy instead and you lose weight. They do this my mimicking a hormone called GLP-1, which signals to the brain when the stomach is full, so the drugs are officially called GLP-1 receptor agonists. They slow down digestion and increase insulin production, lowering blood sugar, which is why they were first developed to treat type 2 diabetes in which patients' sugar levels are too high. Can I get them? NHS prescriptions of weight loss drugs, mainly Wegovy and an older version called Saxenda (chemical name liraglutide), are controlled through specialist weight loss clinics. Typically a patient will have to have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, classifying them as medically obese, and also have a weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure. GPs generally do not prescribe the drugs for weight loss. Private prescribers offer the jabs, most commonly Mounjaro, to anyone who is obese (BMI of 30+) or overweight (BMI 25-30) with a weight-related health risk. Private pharmacies have been rapped for handing them out too easily and video calls or face-to-face appointments are now mandatory to check a patient is being truthful about their size and health. Are there any risks? Yes – side effects are common but most are relatively mild. Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea. Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at said: 'One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.' Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia. Evidence has so far been inconclusive about whether the injections are damaging to patients' mental health. Figures obtained by The Sun show that, up to January 2025, 85 patient deaths in the UK were suspected to be linked to the medicines. Early data suggests pills might have similar rates. Around six per cent of people taking any of Lilly or Novo Nordisk's pills or injections quit the medicines because of side effects. Dr Leyla Hannbeck, of the Independent Pharmacies Association, says: 'The old generation drugs tended to be uncomfortable for a lot of people whereas these new ones are much more effective. 'All medicines will have side effects but the fact that the results are much better now means people are more willing to endure them.' Prof Donnelly said he still does not expect new tablets to be as strong as jabs, adding: 'I don't think anybody believes these will cause the same level of weight loss that you might be reporting with Mounjaro. 'The flipside of that is that major weight loss might not all be good. 'Some of that might be muscle and if you lose 30 per cent of your body weight that is a fairly major transformation. 'Having an oral agent that reduces your weight by, say, 10 or 15 per cent, might actually be more sustainable, better tolerated and medically safer in some respects.' While the GLP-1 tablets are likely to be first to market, inventors are also working on a daily pill that mimics the effects of gastric bypass surgery. 'GASTRIC BYPASS' PILL US company Syntis Bio's offering, named Synt-101 creates a 24-hour lining in the gut that means food cannot be absorbed in the top six inches of the small intestine. Rather, digestion is redirected to the lower areas of the gut, where hormones that tell the brain we are full, are triggered faster. Working in a similar vein to surgery, it means patients feel fuller faster - and the lining is passed when the patient goes to the loo the next day. Synt-101 has passed its first human safety tests and is expected to enter a full-scale clinical trial next year. Another pill in development, Sirona, is made by UK-based Oxford Medical Products, and contains a 'dual polymer hydrogel' that expands in the stomach when it comes into contact with water. It works like a gastric balloon, filling the patient's tummy making them feel full for hours, but is passed in their stools 'several days' later. Early data from an NHS trial found patients lost 10 to 12 per cent in a year of treatment and there were no serious side effects. Experts believe weight loss pills will serve a variety of purposes - as a follow-on treatment after stopping fat jabs, as an option for those who can't or don't want to use jabs and for people with less severe obesity, and less weight to lose. There are hopes they will be less toxic than injections, which often cause side effects like stomach aches, vomiting or diarrhoea. Weight regain after treatment is also an emerging issue with the jabs, which can currently only be prescribed for up to two years in the UK. Rahul Dhanda, chief executive of Syntis Bio, said: 'Patients don't want to be stuck on a revolving door of injections and their side effects; they want to be on a manageable and sustainable weight loss path. 'Oral drugs that are simple, tolerable and safe will be the rational choice for maintenance therapy.'
Daily Mirror
13-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
'Golden age' of weight loss jabs coming – some are about to get a lot cheaper
Scientists herald 150 new jabs and pills to tackle obesity going through the research pipeline - but issue urgent warning to the NHS A 'golden age' of weight loss drugs is on the horizon which could finally reverse the rising tide of obesity, scientists say. The leader of the first head-to-head trial comparing the two leading appetite-suppressing jabs revealed at the European Obesity Congress in Malaga, Spain, there are 150 more such drugs in the pipeline. A host of obesity experts have called on the NHS to urgently ramp up capacity at its weight loss clinics so pills and jabs can be cheaply prescribed to much of the population as they come 'off patent'. Professor Jason Halford, of the European Association for the Study of Obesity, said: 'If the government and NHS are serious about prevention they need to reconsider their position on the speed of the rollout of these drugs, as this evidence comes to light. "In ten years time the landscape is going to be completely different. There will be lots more obesity drugs available, they should be in more usable forms and they should be a lot more affordable.' Dr Louis Aronne, director at Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, US, led a trial showing the Mounjaro jab saw users lose 50% more weight than Wegovy, and that newer versions would keep getting better. He said: 'I think we're going to see more medications. The other day I saw a list of 150 medications, many GLP-1s, but also other mechanisms. I call it the golden age of obesity treatment.' 'They will be less expensive, and hopefully the oral small molecules which are cheaper to manufacture and distribute. I think health systems should be ready to roll them out at scale.' Obesity rates have been rising globally for the last 30 years and more than a billion people are now considered obese. This has contributed to a rising tide of chronic illness, particularly in the West, where we live longer with diseases such as cancer, heart disease, dementia and diabetes placing a huge burden on healthcare systems. Pharmaceutical companies are pumping tens of billions of pounds into a new generation of appetite-suppressing medicines which could finally help reverse the rise in obesity. Weight loss pills are expected to take over from injections making them more readily available. Prof Halford added: 'The Holy Grail would be the small molecule, something that works as a hormone would do. But we could take orally like a regular tablet and that's where I think we will be going in probably the next 10 years. In a decade from now we'll have some of the medications off license so they'll be much cheaper. The more treatment we have, the more competition we have, the lower the prices. At the moment the NHS rollout does not take into account the number of medications potentially available in the next 10 years.' Novo Nordisk manufactures market leading jabs Wegovy and Ozempic, for type 2 diabetes which are both due to come 'off patent' in the coming years so generic versions will be sold for a few pence rather than hundreds of pounds. It also has a pill form of the drugs going through clinical trials. Another study presented at the conference showed Wegovy halved the risk of dying from stroke or heart attack in people with obesity and cardiovascular disease. The Select trial also found Wegovy protected against heart disease even before people had lost any weight, possibly by reducing inflammation. Author Professor Donna Ryan, presenting the findings from manufacturer Novo Nordisk, said they "should change public policy everywhere". She added: "I think what our study today does is it further emphasises there is no need to wait. There's always inertia in medicine. We're slow moving. What this analysis says is that this treatment works early - so why wait?' Currently around half a million Brits are taking the weekly jabs, mainly by paying for private prescriptions, despite over four million being eligible for them on the NHS. NHS England responded justifying its gradual rollout of jabs such as Mounjaro, which will only see 220,000 people being prescribed it in the next three years due to the cost and resources needed to provide accompanying weight management support from a specialist. Dr Claire Fuller, NHS England's medical director for primary care, said: 'Weight loss drugs are a powerful part of our arsenal to tackle obesity and support people to lose weight and reduce their risk of other illnesses like diabetes, heart attacks and stroke. From next month, some eligible patients will be able to access the weight loss drug Mounjaro for the first time. The drug has already been approved for use for some adults in specialist weight management services, and 220,000 people will be eligible to benefit over the first three years. 'This phased roll out will ensure those with the greatest clinical need can access the treatment as a priority, at the same time as the NHS develops new and innovative services through which other weight loss treatments can also be delivered in the future. Local NHS organisations will be providing further information on how patients can access services in due course.' The powerful drugs must be prescribed alongside specialist support to help people transform their diet and activity levels. Without substantial lifestyle changes users will pile the weight back on if they ever come off the jabs. Some people have to stop taking them due to side effects, such as vomiting. Novo Nordisk patented its blockbuster GLP-1 drug semaglutide in both its branded forms Ozempic and Wegovy. Its 'core' patient expires in 2026 but the pharmaceutical company has 220 'secondary' patients in 28 countries which could extend its market exclusivity to 2033. After then the price of drugs based on its semaglutide molecule will plummet and the availability of generic versions of the drugs will explode. Other first-generation weight loss jabs such as liraglutide, sold under the brand names Saxenda for obesity and Victoza for diabetes, and dulaglutide, brand name Trulicity, are set to see their patents expire soon paving the way for generic alternatives. Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, director at the British Heart Foundation, said: 'A generation ago, effective drugs for obesity would have been a pipe dream. Yet here we are with the potential to make a massive dent in the number of lives cut too short by cardiovascular disease and other conditions such as dementia and cancer. It is imperative that the health service embraces this opportunity and ensures those in need of these lifesaving treatments can access them.' Big pharma is competing to find new drugs including one drug dubbed the 'Godzilla' of appetite-suppressing injectables which saw trial participants lose up to 24% of their body weight in less than a year. The weekly jab called retatrutide helps the body burn more fat as well as making users feel more full so they eat less. This twin approach has helped it outperform Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro which only suppress appetite. As well as GLP-1 and GIP hormones, retatrutide targets a third hormone known as glucagon which triggers the body to burn more fat when we move. The trial results showed it helped people with obesity shed 60 pounds on average in just 48 weeks. Women lost even more shedding 28.5% of their body weight compared to 21.2% in the male half of the trial. But experts insist these drug breakthroughs should not stop political leaders from ignoring the root causes of obesity, namely that society is now set up so we usually have cheap, unhealthy food at our finger tips and it is difficult or expensive to make the healthy choice. Katharine Jenner, director of the Obesity Health Alliance, said: 'It's no surprise that major pharmaceutical companies are investing heavily in obesity treatment. They recognise the scale of the opportunity. That opportunity exists largely because we've failed to tackle the root causes of obesity.'
Daily Mirror
01-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
NHS patients could get 'weight loss jabs' on prescription from pharmacies
The trial scheme is reportedly set to be announced by health officials to broaden access to the injections Pharmacists could prescribe weight-loss jabs for NHS patients as part of a bid to tackle obesity, it was reported. The trial scheme is reportedly set to be announced by health officials to broaden access to the injections. The plan would allow patients to get the jabs from pharmacies after a short over-the-counter consultation, it was reported. It is thought a major deal with be struck with a pharmaceutical firm to fund a pilot scheme with the aim of rolling it out for everyone who needs a jab. There has previously been rationing of the jabs by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence with only one in 10 eligible people able to get them on the NHS. The jabs - such as Wegovy and Mounjaro - can only be given out after consultation with a specialist and have to be taken together with other weight loss methods Research has shown that over half a million people are buying weight loss jabs privately. Although health officials want GPs to prescribe them, family doctors' high workloads mean the rollout has been slow. Prof Jason Halford, from the European Association for the Study of Obesity, told the Daily Telegraph: 'I welcome efforts to increase availability of these drugs, and pharmacies could certainly play a part in that. 'The concern is getting enough support. People need close monitoring, psychological support and advice on nutrition. 'Potentially this is certainly work that pharmacies could expand into, but these are powerful drugs and they do have side-effects. I would definitely welcome efforts to trial new ways to roll out the drugs.'
