UK health regulator approves higher dose of Novo’s Wegovy for obesity patients

Jan 16 (Reuters) – Britain’s health regulator has approved a maximum weekly dose of up to 7.2 milligrams of Novo Nordisk’s blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy on Friday, to be administered as three separate injections for patients with obesity.

The higher dose, cleared by the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on January 6, broadens treatment choices for patients and physicians beyond the current 2.4 mg limit.

The authorisation for the drug, chemically known as semaglutide , covers only patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher using the drug for weight management alongside diet and exercise.

Wegovy’s approval adds to the growing arsenal of GLP-1 drugs available in Britain as regulators worldwide expand dosing options for this class of medicines that has reshaped pharmaceutical markets.

The Danish drugmaker is also awaiting a ruling from Britain’s medicines regulator on the easier-to-administer pill version of its weight-loss treatment, which has already been approved in the U.S.

The MHRA said on Friday the tripled dose does not apply to overweight patients with a BMI below 30 or those using Wegovy to reduce cardiovascular risk, and patients must wait at least four weeks on the standard 2.4 mg dose before escalating.

(Reporting by Yamini Kalia in Bengaluru; Editing by Sonia Cheema and Devika Syamnath)