The UK has become the first market in Europe to approve the use of Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy GLP-1 drug in pill form.
The pill variant of the weight-loss drug landed on US shelves in January, after approval by the country’s Food and Drug Administration the previous month.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
The authorisation by the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency makes the country the third to licence the medication after the US and the UAE.
New research published this week suggested the number of households in the UK with a user of GLP-1 drugs has almost tripled in two years to 1.9 million adults.
According to data from Numerator, those households cut their grocery spending by £780m ($1.04bn) in the first year after the drugs were used.
One in ten of those surveyed said they no longer enjoy their usual food and drink favourites.
Findings from the consumer insights firm also revealed users lowering their intake of treats.
Specifically, chocolate spending fell 18 percentage points more in user households compared to non-users. Additionally, 75% of users said they eat less chocolate and 72% eat fewer crisps.
Weight management drugs also lead to side effects, like dry mouth, which are altering purchasing behaviour.
User households bought more oral care products, with mouthwash sales up 20 percentage points and chewing gum up 24 percentage points compared to non-users, revealed the report.
Chantel Kennaugh, the head of public sector and nutrition at Worldpanel by Numerator said: “These drugs are fundamentally disrupting how people engage with food and drink, with ripple effects already being felt across grocery and lifestyle, forcing brands and businesses to adapt at pace.”
The semaglutide tablets will be available via private prescription “within weeks” in the UK, the Danish pharmaceutical giant said.
It will offer a daily oral alternative to the weekly injectable format, for adults who are obese or overweight and have at least one weight-related medical condition.
Emil Kongshøj Larsen, the executive vice president of international operations at Novo Nordisk, said: “Today, around 15 million people in the UK are living with obesity, yet only a small proportion of them have access to treatment, and we hope this approval supports increasing access to obesity care in the UK.”
