Hollywood ‘best-kept secret' is coming to a pharmacy near you: Controversial diabetes drug used by A-listers to lose weight fast is set to launch in the UK as a slimming ‘slimming shot'
- Semaglutide is only approved in the UK for the treatment of weight-related conditions under the brand name Ozempic
- The drug semaglutide, which is approved for weight loss, is due to launch in the UK in spring and will be marketed by Boots, the MoS understands
A controversial diabetes drug used by Hollywood A-listers to help them lose weight quickly is to be launched in the UK as a way to lose weight, the Mail on Sunday can reveal.
Semaglutide is currently licensed in the UK only for the treatment of weight-related conditions, such as diabetes, under the trade name Ozempic. But its side effect of helping users lose weight quickly means it has a huge “off-label” market where experts give it to anyone they think might benefit.
This has resulted in a shortage of people who need it.
A semaglutide drug approved for weight loss is due to launch in the UK in spring and will be marketed by Boots, the MoS understands. The drug's maker, Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk, said it would market the weight loss drug, called Wegovy, “as soon as possible”.
Semaglutide is currently licensed in the UK only for the treatment of weight-related conditions such as diabetes under the trade name Ozempic
The price of the ‘skinny jab' has been kept under wraps ahead of its launch, but existing users of Ozempic have told MoS they have a monthly supply of around £180. Users use the medical pen to inject the drug once a week. It works like a chemical gastric band, suppresses appetite, and believers claim to lose an average of 16% of their body weight in a year.
Ozempic has been dubbed “Hollywood's best kept secret” after a Variety survey revealed that A-listers are using it to slim down for events.
Twitter owner Elon Musk says he uses Wegovy to stay in shape, and Kim Kardashian is rumored to have lost 16 pounds using semaglutide to fit in a dress Marilyn Monroe once wore.
Weight loss (file photo).The drug semaglutide, which is approved for weight loss, is due to launch in the UK in spring and will be marketed by Boots, the MoS understands
Dr David Eccleston, a private GP specializing in weight loss in Birmingham, said he had had more than 100 requests from patients wanting to use Ozempic as a weight loss treatment, but he had turned them all down. “In the UK, no medical professional is allowed to actively promote Ozempic as a treatment for obesity because it is not covered by the product licence,” he said.
Novo Nordisk also said it does not support “off-label prescribing”, adding: “Patient safety is our top priority. All prescriptions for our products should be in accordance with the approved product properties and therapeutic indications.”
A spokesperson for Boots said: “Wegovy is a prescription-only weight loss drug that can help regulate appetite and reduce appetite.
“When used in conjunction with a reduced-calorie diet, increased physical activity, and healthy lifestyle choices, it can be an effective drug for achieving sustained weight loss.”
