Ozempic for those a few months in - part 3

[DrMadelineMaxwell]

Thread was full so I've started a new one. 😀

It's illegal without a licence from the Drug and Firearm Licensing Unit and sounds dodgy as hell for something you are going to inject into you. I get the desperation due to the shortages but please stay safe and don't take the risk.

@HolidayHappy123 thankyou I asked some more questions like registration with regulatory body,website, license number. Wasn't sure what to ask and admitted that I acknowledged things were different in the USA but surely still some registration. They couldn't supply any of these details so it's a no. I shouldn't have been so stupid but I am desperate x

@ticktock19 that's interesting about wegovy but £270 that's so pricey and disappointing. I'm £225 for 0.5 on ozempic. I had hoped with the new drug and market competition that the price would be under £200. I'll ask juniper what their wegovy prices will be x

@SarahC50 and the problem with wegovy is that you can't make pen last longer as there is 1 dose per pen ( 4 pens in a box) and you can't count the clicks. The only way would be to take a higher dose every 10 days making it last 6 weeks instead of 4.

That's disappointing about the cost. Was hoping it be priced like ozempic.

I’ve been injecting in my stomach since April last year. Tried my arm today. Let’s see if it has any affect.

I've had an email from juniper confirming wegovy coming to the UK. They are going to update in 48hrs when they have more details of stock availability etc. Anyone due a resupply in the next 48hrs has been put on hold so I'm assuming they are expecting things to move pretty quickly.

Fingers crossed that there is plenty of supply.

Apparently it is a controlled and limited launch so I think supplies will probably be scarce but fantastic news for today and a move in the right direction.

I got it too!! Amazing. I just had a shipment last week though of 0.5 but so exciting. I really hope this is it now!

That would be amazing.

Brilliant news!!

Does no one here think they'll be able to get Wegovy prescribed from the GP? I thought the reason we were excited about Wegovy coming was because we could get it on the nhs? If it's just available from the same online chemists, for similar price to Ozempic, what's the difference? Perhaps I'm missing something here?

I'm excited because I'm really hopeful it's going to solve the supply issues and bring the cost down.

I had a bmi of over 42, now 37 but generally keep healthy so I can't see me being top of the NHS list. I think that'll be diabetics and Co morbidity patients. So I'll keep finding g it myself unfortunately until I can access it easily on NHS.

I didn't think wegovy had been approved by the NHS yet and is therefore going to be private prescription only at the point. I would imagine when the NHS start prescribing, it will be for those with very high BMI.

The excitement around here is that people may be able to get hold of semaglutide again since ozempic supplies have dwindled and also the possibility of higher doses for those who are no longer finding 1mg effective.

There's an article on the BBC this morning that says the NHS have a limited supply of wegovy now to prescribe which is great but agree it'll go to those already through weight management services and with other issues.

NICE have recommended that it is given to ‘adults who have at least one weight related comorbidity and a BMI of at least 35.1’ and that it should only ‘be available within the NHS’s specialist weight management services’. So it will be very limited who can get it on the NHS.

There is talk of a pilot program for GPs to prescribe it but I don’t think they have yet set out the criteria and recent news was that this would be delayed indefinitely although that was before the news of the launch today. So maybe some people will be able to get it through the GP but it is not clear who.

Wegovy is approved (has NICE recommendation) for those with bmi above 35, but only through specialty weight management scheme. It won’t be available through the gp for some time(if ever?) but if you are a candidate it might be worth seeking a referral- no idea what the wait times would be, and also imagine Wegovy unlikely to be the first recourse.

I would be cautious about expectations for greater supply- Wegovy is the same drug / same manufacturer as Ozempic (Novo Nordisk), probably made in same facilities, just slightly different concentration I think? They will be ramping up production gradually over time, but expect shortages will continue . A uk launch is good news from the perspective that it signals greater confidence in supply, and also provides options for higher dosing

www.novonordisk.co.uk/content/dam/nncorp/gb/en/pdfs/media-and-news/wegovy-launch-medical-trade-press-release-04.09.23.pdf

Proportion of supply allocated to the NHS weight management services to enable implémentions of NICE guidelines.

It will be interesting to see what happens to supplies of ozempic and how people fare on Wegovy considering the dose difference and the pens only being weekly not monthly.

I’m with juniper and haven’t had anything from them! Why would that be?

Thanks for the press release. I think the pens in the UK will actually be really similar to what we are used to with Ozempic. Leaflet here. Not the same as the single dose pens in America.

The higher dosing should be more effective I think - that’s what they found in their research. Although I have now reduced my dose a bit while supplies are short and am finding not that much difference.

I've had an email from Quick Meds re wegovy launch as well. Exciting news.

Long time reader, first time poster.

Boots have Wegovy prices. Disappointed that they are so high tbh. I thought once the big trusted pharmacies joined in, the prices might drop to at least what they were a few months ago.

0.25 = £199
0.5 = £199
1.0 = £199
1.7 = £249
2.4 = £299

I don't think those Boots prices are too bad actually. They'll only apply to current saxenda customers though, which is fair enough I suppose.

GPs can only refer to weight management schemes and there are 3 tiers, you will have to justify that tier 1 and 2 you have tried already which is diet based weight loss programmes. Tier 3 is the level of possible bariatric surgery which they might put wegovy into

@HolidayHappy123 here isthe ridiculous license the USA company claims to have x