Ozempic-like weight loss jabs could one day be dished out like statins, says top NHS doctor
Professor Sir Stephen Powis, medical director of NHS England, said in years to come they will get cheaper and may be used to prevent a range of illnesses.
But chief medical officer Professor Sir Chris Whitty said they are 'not a get out of jail card' and people must still try to be healthy.
GPs will roll out Mounjaro across the country from this month.
The injections currently cost the NHS around £100 each but prices are expected to drop over time.
Research increasingly shows they have health benefits beyond diabetes and weight loss, potentially including reducing the risks of cancer, dementia and heart diseases.
Cholesterol -lowering statins have been used for decades to reduce heart attacks and strokes and now cost next to nothing at 3p a pill.
Studies suggest they also reduce the risk of dementia, though it is not what they were designed for.
Prof Powis said: 'The use of statins is now very different from when they first came out and I've no doubt that will be the same for these drugs.
'I think over time it's highly likely that they will become more widespread.
'I think there will be a combination of increased evidence of positive outcomes and costs dropping, and we will learn better how to deploy them.
'It's not completely unusual for drugs over time to be found to have effects that go over and beyond what they were initially designed for.
'I am not starry-eyed about weight loss drugs but it's very exciting.
'We're in the foothills of learning how to use them.'
NHS prescriptions surging
NHS use of the jabs is already skyrocketing and official figures show prescriptions in England surged from 1.4million in 2023 to 2.7m in 2024.
Doctors spent a total of £269million on them in the latest financial year and more than a million people are estimated to be buying them privately.
Prof Whitty said it is important for people to still get help to eat healthily and exercise, as well as taking medicine.
He added: 'These are not get out of jail cards.
'What we shouldn't do is use it as an excuse, as a society, not to deal with what is a rising and very serious problem.'
Everything you need to know about fat jabs
Weight loss jabs are all the rage as studies and patient stories reveal they help people shed flab at almost unbelievable rates, as well as appearing to reduce the risk of serious diseases.
Wegovy – a modified version of type 2 diabetes drug Ozempic – and Mounjaro are the leading weight loss injections used in the UK.
Wegovy, real name semaglutide, has been used on the NHS for years while Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a newer and more powerful addition to the market.
Mounjaro accounts for most private prescriptions for weight loss and is set to join Wegovy as an NHS staple this year.
How do they work?
The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less so your body burns fat for energy instead and you lose weight.
They do this my mimicking a hormone called GLP-1, which signals to the brain when the stomach is full, so the drugs are officially called GLP-1 receptor agonists.
They slow down digestion and increase insulin production, lowering blood sugar, which is why they were first developed to treat type 2 diabetes in which patients' sugar levels are too high.
Can I get them?
NHS prescriptions of weight loss drugs, mainly Wegovy and an older version called Saxenda (chemical name liraglutide), are controlled through specialist weight loss clinics.
Typically a patient will have to have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, classifying them as medically obese, and also have a weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure.
GPs generally do not prescribe the drugs for weight loss.
Private prescribers offer the jabs, most commonly Mounjaro, to anyone who is obese (BMI of 30+) or overweight (BMI 25-30) with a weight-related health risk.
Private pharmacies have been rapped for handing them out too easily and video calls or face-to-face appointments are now mandatory to check a patient is being truthful about their size and health.
Are there any risks?
Yes – side effects are common but most are relatively mild.
Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea.
Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at patient.info, said: 'One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.'
Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia.
Evidence has so far been inconclusive about whether the injections are damaging to patients' mental health.
Figures obtained by The Sun show that, up to January 2025, 85 patient deaths in the UK were suspected to be linked to the medicines.
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