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Wegovy (semaglutide) can now be offered to patients at risk of stroke or heart attack, under new guidance issued by the National Institute for health and Care Excellence (NICE).
Delivered as an injection, Wegovy (Novo Nordisk) is best known as a weight-loss medication. However, under new guidance issued on 1 April 2026, it can now be prescribed on the NHS to patients with a BMI of 27 or greater who have already had a heart attack, stroke or serious circulation problem in their legs.
It will be provided as a weekly self-administered injection and is to be used alongside usual medications, such as statins, as well as lifestyle changes.
In a press release issued alongside the guidance, NICE said that its recommendation was “specifically about preventing heart attacks and strokes”, and that around 1.2 million people could benefit.
It added that in a clinical trial, which was funded by Novo Nordisk, cardiovascular benefits were seen before significant weight loss occurred, “suggesting the drug works directly on the heart and blood vessels, not just through weight loss”.
Paul Wright, consultant cardiovascular pharmacist at Bart’s NHS Trust, commented: “This is great news — we saw a 20% risk reduction in major adverse coronary events in the ‘SELECT’ trial, so [I am] keen to see how this can be offered to patients in practice.
“Of note, there was a relatively high discontinuation rate that I believe can be supported/reduced with pharmacists supporting the titration and maintenance phase.”
Malcolm Harrison, chief executive of the Company Chemists’ Association, said the NICE decision was a “no-brainer”.
“Providing care for the 1.2 million patients identified will need greater access in primary care. This is where community pharmacy can deliver. Pharmacies have a proven record for providing private weight-loss treatments safely and effectively, both in-person and online,” he said.
Henry Gregg, chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association, described the guidance as “game changing” and called for community pharmacy to be used in the deployment of weight-loss medication.
“Community pharmacists have provided weight-loss treatment for a number of years now and have extensive expertise in this area,” he explained.
“If the NHS wants to reach millions of patients in the greatest health need in communities up and down the country, they should mobilise the pharmacy network to deliver this turbo-charged weight management programme.”
Claire Anderson, president of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said: “For this guidance to translate into patient benefit, implementation must ensure patients are appropriately identified, supported and monitored over time.
“Expanding access to treatment must be backed by clear clinical pathways that integrate pharmacy across all settings, alongside workforce capacity and sustainable funding. With continued pressure on primary care, pharmacists will be central to delivering the government’s ambitions to boost prevention and deliver more care closer to home.”
Wegovy for weight loss is only available on the NHS to people with a BMI between 32.5 and 35.0, depending on ethnicity, or people with a slightly lower BMI and who meet the criteria needed to be treated by a specialist weight management service.
