A new single-injection Wegovy pen containing the highest weekly dose of the weight loss drug has been approved in the UK.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) announced today that it had authorised the jab, manufactured by Novo Nordisk, for adult patients with obesity and a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or higher.
Read more: MHRA approves Novo Nordisk’s triple-strength Wegovy
The regulator said the approval will give patients “the option of a single-dose injection to receive the maximum weekly dose for weight loss and weight management”.
And it added that the new pen is not available to “overweight patients with a BMI of less than 30” using Wegovy for weight loss or for “patients using Wegovy to lower their risk of serious heart problems”.
“As with any medicine, the MHRA will keep the safety and effectiveness of Wegovy under close review,” it said.
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It comes after the MHRA in January approved the 7.2mg maximum weekly dose of Wegovy, which required three 2.4mg injections a day using the standard 2.4mg pen.
And it follows Novo Nordisk announcing that the pill version of its Wegovy jab - the first GLP-1 pill for weight loss - is on sale in the US and “broadly available” at thousands of pharmacies.
