The Wonder Drug for Weight Loss Breaks into a New Country!

 The Danish pharmaceutical giant announced that the weekly injectable medication will initially be available in the United Kingdom under a "controlled and limited launch," and only certain patients will be able to receive the drug through the country’s National Health Service (NHS). To be eligible for treatment, patients must be part of the NHS weight management service, suffer from at least one weight-related condition, and have a body mass index (BMI) of 35, according to guidelines set by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

The drug will also be available privately through a "registered healthcare professional," Novo Nordisk stated in its announcement, without providing further details.

Novo Nordisk has also not disclosed the final price agreed upon with NHS England, but stated that NICE, the UK’s drug cost-effectiveness watchdog, has deemed the pricing "cost-effective." The Danish company added that the private market price "will be determined by those authorized to prescribe the medication." In the United States, the list price for Wegovy is $1,350 for a month’s supply. while in Europe, it is marketed at a much lower price, around €170-300 ($190-330) per month, for example, in Germany. The British insurance company Aviva, which provides private health insurance to about 1.1 million Britons, announced after the launch that Wegovy would not be covered by their insurance, according to Reuters.

The surging demand for the weight loss drug, along with a series of clinical trials indicating broader health benefits, has recently sent the company’s shares to record highs. On Friday, it briefly surpassed French luxury giant LVMH in market capitalization, becoming Europe’s most valuable company. However, supply difficulties continue to hinder the widespread rollout of the drug. CEO Lars Fruergaard Jorgensen stated at a Reuters event last month that it could take "a few years" for the company to meet the demand for all consumers.