A new daily pill that treats diabetes and helps with weight loss will be available in UK pharmacies from Monday.
Pharmacists said the move would be welcome for people who cannot use weight-loss jabs, but also issued a warning over the growing problem of fake, unlicensed or counterfeit versions of GLP-1 tablets.
Orforglipron, known as Foundayo and made by the US pharmaceutical firm Eli Lilly, was authorised by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) earlier this month. The UK is the first country in Europe to approve it, after approving another weight-loss pill in June.
“The UK is the first country in Europe where Foundayo is now available,” said Khalil Asmar, the vice-president of cardiometabolic health at Lilly Northern Europe. “We’re pleased that this means there is another oral treatment option for eligible UK patients alongside licensed injectable treatments.”
The drug will initially be available through private prescription, with Eli Lilly saying it is working with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) on its assessment of Foundayo for a potential rollout on the health service in England.
Th drug is licensed for people with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or above, or those with a BMI of between 27 and 30 and at least one weight-related condition. It can also be used to improve blood sugar levels in patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes. The pill is taken once a day, at any time, with no food or water restrictions.
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Henry Gregg, the chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association, said: “This is another significant day with a second weight loss pill available from today in certain pharmacies. This is particularly significant for patients who cannot or do not want to take an injectable medicine and could make weight-loss treatment available to a wider range of patients.”
However, there are concerns about the marketing of fake, unlicensed or counterfeit drugs, which can be easier to produce in pill form than injectables. Last year, the MHRA seized £250,000-worth of unlicensed weight-loss pens and ingredients from a factory in Northampton, and Eli Lilly is suing various suppliers it accuses of participating in an illegal hidden market for its drugs.
Patients are being urged to ensure that they access weight-loss treatments only through safe and regulated pharmacies.
Gregg said: “There must now be a redoubling of efforts within government and the NHS to use pharmacies to make sure more eligible patients in clinical need can get weight loss treatments on the NHS, rather than the current postcode lottery that exists for weight management services via GPs.”
The MHRA approved the first GLP-1 pill for weight loss, a tablet form of Wegovy, in June.