Weight loss pills could change the way we treat obesity once again

Highly effective and widely accessed in the UK, weight loss injections have changed the way we treat this chronic condition and addressed significant associated health challenges such as cardiovascular disease and cancer.

However, the future of weight loss medications looks set to be redefined by the arrival of weight loss pills to the UK market. It is expected that in the coming months, Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy weight loss pill will become available to UK patients, having already been rolled out in the US earlier this year.

If we look across the Atlantic, the uptake has already been extraordinary. Since the start of the year, more than 2 million Americans have been prescribed the Wegovy pill, with no signs of this slowing down. How might it impact the health of our nation?

Currently, it is estimated that around 2.5 million people are accessing weight loss injections through the private market and on the NHS. With obesity costing the nation over £100bn a year, the introduction of a new medication could not just support the health of the nation but also the health of the economy.

Weight loss pills work in exactly the same way as weight loss injections. By mimicking the GLP-1 hormone naturally produced by your body, it activates receptors in the brain to increase how full you feel, reduce hunger and slow gastric emptying.

Similarly, when it comes to side effects, as Wegovy pills contain the same active ingredient as injections, clinical studies have found that they are fairly similar across both forms. Most side effects though tend to be mild and improve over time as your body adjusts to the medication. While many will be exploring the option of using weight loss pills, many may wish to remain on them due to the dosing only being once a week, the fact that they are stabilised and the success they have seen on their weight loss journey.

The major difference and where we could see a real change in the way people access obesity treatment in this country is the convenience of these new, game-changing weight loss pills. With tablets, there is no need for needles, sharps bins or even to keep the medication refrigerated, making it more accessible and for many, more approachable than what is already on the market.

Taken once a day, first thing in the morning, weight loss pills for those clinically eligible could be far more appealing to those with an aversion to needles or who feel a sense of stigma that has commonly been associated with injecting yourself.

This innovation is likely to be revolutionary. With such a large section of society already changing their lives through the use of weight loss injections, new weight loss pills are only set to increase the number of people addressing their own health challenges.

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James O’Loan is the founder and CEO of Chemist4U, one of the UK’s largest online pharmacies.

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