Popular weight-loss drugs like Mounjaro and Wegovy should be used as a first line of defence in tackling obesity, experts have said.
Leading European doctors said the jabs are “so effective” they should be used to treat almost all cases of obesity and its associated health impacts.
It comes after Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the medication could “finally defeat obesity” as he vowed to make it more accessible through the NHS.
Obesity Management Working Group expert Dr Andreea Ciudin said: “The reality is that semaglutide is so effective that it should be the first choice in almost all cases.”
Antidiabetic drug semaglutide, the active ingredient in weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy, is currently recommended by the NHS if diet and exercise have not worked.
What is the difference between Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro?
The active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy is semaglutide. This is an antidiabetic drug used for weight-loss treatment.
Wegovy, developed by Danish company Novo Nordisk, is licensed for use for weight-loss.
Ozempic, also developed by Novo Nordisk, is not licensed for use in weight-loss treatment in the UK, although it is used in other parts of the world.
Mounjaro is a similar drug developed by the American pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly.
The active ingredient is tirzepatide, which has a similar effect to semaglutide.
Dr Ciudin also said tirzepatide, a similar drug which is used by Mounjaro, dubbed the “King Kong” of weight-loss jabs, should be used to treat obesity and heart disease.
Her study, published in Nature Medicine, also suggested the use of these drugs could help treat kidney disease, neurodegenerative disorders, heart failure and certain cancers associated with obesity.
At least 500,000 people in the UK take either Mounjaro or Wegovy via prescriptions from private online pharmacies, according to retailers.
Speaking at the Labour conference in Liverpool, Streeting said the medication had “transformed” the lives of the wealthy, but millions have been left behind.
He said: “What about the millions who can’t afford them? That is a return to the days when health was determined by wealth. And I say never again.”
Asked by The i Paper if he was open to rolling out weight-loss pills on the NHS, Streeting said he wanted patients to have access to new treatments “as quickly as possible”.
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The NHS offered Mounjaro to obese patients in June after UK health experts said there were 97,500 patients who would benefit from the treatment.
But just eight out of 42 NHS Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) in England were able to provide treatment to patients, according to Freedom of Information requests.
Dr Jonathan Hazlehurst, an endocrinologist and obesity physician at University Hospitals Birmingham, said patients were “set up for failure” and were treated unfairly.
This year, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) warned that many individuals might regain weight if not adequately supported after stopping treatment.
It said those coming off the drugs should be offered “structured advice and follow-up support” to mitigate weight gain.
The new “quality standard” from Nice said NHS patients should be monitored for at least a year after they complete treatment, and extra support should be offered if needed.
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