Wegovy: GP pilot scheme could be scrapped after failing to launch

The pilot scheme for making the weight loss drug semaglutide (marketed as Wegovy) more widely available, announced last June by then prime minister Rishi Sunak, could be scrapped, as the new government reviews how to roll out obesity treatment across England.The two year pilot scheme, backed with £40m in funding, aimed to improve access to semaglutide in the community, by expanding specialist weight management services outside hospitals, including through GPs.1However, despite promises that the pilots would launch in late 2023 or early 2024, The BMJ understands that they had failed to launch by the time the general election took place, more than a year after Sunak’s announcement. With a new Labour government in place, the Department of Health and Social Care is now reconsidering how it will provide access to these drugs.Labour previously criticised Sunak’s decision to announce the pilot at a time when semaglutide was in short supply worldwide,…
Read Original Article: Wegovy: GP pilot scheme could be scrapped after failing to launch »