Aesthetics reports as 220,000 NHS patients are set to receive weight loss injections to treat obesity in the next three years.
The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has released final draft guidance of the NHS roll out of weight loss drug tirzepatide.1 The guidance confirms that the medicine – also known as Mounjaro from Eli Lilly – is recommended by NICE for people in England and Wales with a body mass index of more than 35 and at least one weight-related illness.2 This makes around 3.4 million people in England eligible for the prescription, but the roll out will be gradual.2
The guidance recommends that 220,000 people living with obesity – only those with the highest clinical need – will be offered the weight loss drug, alongside lifestyle advice, on the NHS in England over the next three years.2 The licence for tirzepatide states that it should be considered for weight-related illnesses including: hypertension, dyslipidaemia, obstructive sleep apnoea, cardiovascular disease, prediabetes…
