The NHS is planning to increase the coverage of GLP-1 drug semaglutide, known as Wegovy, to 1.2 million people with cardiovascular disease to help prevent heart attacks and strokes over the next few years.
People with heart and circulatory disease, who are overweight, will be eligible for the drug in England from this summer, following approval by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) on Wednesday (1), with the NHS striking a deal that makes the treatment cost-effective.
The drug is delivered as a weekly injection and will be prescribed alongside a healthy diet and increased physical activity.
It can also be used alongside other commonly used drugs, such as statins or anti-hypertensives, to further improve health outcomes of patients with cardiovascular disease.
The draft NICE guidance published for semaglutide recommends the drug be available as a treatment option for people who have previously had a heart attack, stroke, or a serious circulation problem in the legs (known as peripheral arterial disease), and who are overweight or obese with a BMI of 27 or higher.
The NHS England provides semaglutide as a treatment option for people with obesity, when offered through specialist weight management services in line with NICE guidance.
Clinical trial data has shown that semaglutide reduced the risk of serious heart problems and strokes by 20 per cent in overweight people with heart and circulatory disease.
Semaglutide is the latest innovative treatment being offered by the NHS as part of the 10-Year Health Plan.
In the UK, around 1.6 million patients use GLP1 drugs, and most of them are accessing them privately as they are not easily available through the NHS.
A London Assembly Health Committee’s report on weight-loss medicines had recently stated that while around half a million Londoners could be eligible for the medicines, only around 3,000 were receiving them on the NHS as of November 2025.
The report has stated that the slow NHS rollout, growing private market, and rising illicit sales are creating a two-tier system for Londoners seeking obesity treatment.
Helen Williams, National Clinical director for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention, NHS England, said: “For more than a million people at high risk of heart attack and stroke, this treatment on the NHS could be life-changing – offering a powerful new way to protect their hearts and improve their health.
Jack Turner, deputy director for Medicines Negotiation, NHS England, said: “This latest NHS deal for an innovative medicine will enable NHS patients in England to benefit from the latest application of the drug, semaglutide, that is already helping people as a treatment for obesity and type 2 diabetes.”
Health minister Sharon Hodgson said: “We are committed to ensuring the NHS makes these drugs available to those who need them most and this new guidance could help more than a million people.”
Pharmacies offer to help
Company Chemists' Association (CCA) chief executive Malcolm Harrison said, “Widening access to Semaglutide for people with cardiovascular disease is a no-brainer for helping to prevent future heart attacks and strokes in those who are overweight.
Obesity-linked cardiovascular disease is a national problem and needs national support, delivered at scale. Providing care for the 1.2m patients identified will need greater access in primary care. This is where community pharmacy can deliver.
Pharmacies have a proven record for providing private weight loss treatments safely and effectively, both in-person and online.
If the government wants to reach millions of more patients, it should commission an NHS weight management service through the community pharmacy network.”
National Pharmacy Association chief executive Henry Gregg said, "Although more details are needed, this is a very significant announcement and could be game-changing in reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes, one of the leading causes of death in the UK.
"Community pharmacists have provided weight loss treatment for a number of years now and have extensive expertise in this area.
"If the NHS wants to reach millions of patients in the greatest health need in communities up and down the country, they should mobilise the pharmacy network to deliver this turbo-charged weight management programme."
Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) president professor Claire Anderson said, “For this guidance to translate into patient benefit, implementation must ensure patients are appropriately identified, supported and monitored over time.
“Pharmacists have a vital role in supporting safe use, improving adherence and managing long-term treatment.
“Expanding access to treatment must be backed by clear clinical pathways that integrate pharmacy across all settings, alongside workforce capacity and sustainable funding.
“With continued pressure on primary care, pharmacists will be central to delivering the Government’s ambitions to boost prevention and deliver more care closer to home.”
