The United Kingdom has planned to use the weight-loss drugs to help unemployed people with obesity get back to work, British Health Minister Wes Streeting said on Tuesday.
London has been planning to test US firm Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro jab amid the increasing popularity of the diabetes medication Ozempic and Wegovy from Danish pharma giant Novo Nordisk to treat obesity.
Streeting said that obesity was causing people to take an extra four sick days and was placing a huge burden on the state-run health care system.
“The long-term benefits of these drugs could be monumental in our approach to tackling obesity,” Streeting said, referring to new drugs for the treatment of obesity.
Weight loss jabs ‘very important’ for unemployed people: UK PM
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that proposals to give weight loss jabs to unemployed people could be “very important” for our economy and health.
Watch | UK: Semaglutide, the weight-loss drug, to be given out for free to eligible patients
He further acknowledged that more money was needed for the state-run health care system, also known as the NHS, adding that the government also needed to “think differently” to ease pressure on the health system.
UK PM told the BBC the jabs would be “very helpful” to people who want and need to lose weight.
“(The drug is) very important for our NHS, because, yes we need more money for the NHS, but we’ve also got to think differently,” he added.
He suggested the medicines could be “life changing” for individuals.
(With inputs from agencies)
