More than one million people in England will soon be offered the weight loss jab Wegovy on the NHS to help stop heart attacks and strokes.
The move marks a major shift in how the drug is used.
Until now, many people knew Wegovy as a treatment for obesity. But health experts now say it can do far more than help people lose weight.
The drug’s active ingredient, semaglutide, has been shown to lower the risk of serious heart problems in people with cardiovascular disease – even when weight loss is not the main factor.
That means the jab is now being seen as a life-saving treatment, not just a weight loss aid.
The decision follows new guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
NICE says the NHS in England must start offering semaglutide to patients who meet the rules. The guidance also applies in Wales.
Helen Knight, the director of medicines evaluation at Nice said: “We know that people who have already had a heart attack or stroke are living with real fear that it could happen again. Today’s decision gives thousands of people in that situation an extra layer of protection, on top of the medicines they are already taking.”
People may be eligible if they: have a BMI of 27 or above; have already had a heart attack or stroke; or have severe complications linked to peripheral artery disease.
The jab is taken once a week.
Doctors will prescribe it alongside healthy eating, exercise, and standard heart medicines such as statins or blood pressure tablets.
Health experts say the change could save many lives.
Heart and circulatory disease remains one of the biggest killers in the UK. For many patients, the risk of a second heart attack or stroke is a constant worry.
Clinical trials found semaglutide can cut the risk of another major cardiovascular event. Crucially, researchers found the benefit was not only linked to weight loss. That is why the drug is now being treated as an important new tool in heart care.
Semaglutide is already used on the NHS in other ways. Wegovy is available through specialist weight management services for some people living with obesity. Ozempic, which contains the same active ingredient, is also widely used to treat type 2 diabetes.
Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, Clinical Director at the British Heart Foundation, welcomed the move. She said: “So-called ‘weight loss drugs’ like semaglutide have proven benefits beyond reducing the number on the scales – they are now considered important medicines for preventing deadly heart attacks and strokes.
“Today’s guidance will no doubt help save lives as cardiovascular disease is still one of the country’s biggest killers.”
