Dr Giles Yeo, Professor of Genetics at the University of Cambridge, told Sunrise on Saturday that subsidising the drugs would be a positive step, but cautioned expectations must be realistic.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it is a powerful drug to treat obesity,\u201d Dr Yeo said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I get the feeling we\u2019re still not going to get enough out there yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dr Yeo pointed to the United Kingdom as a warning sign. Despite the drugs being subsidised through the NHS, around 95 per cent of users still pay privately due to strict eligibility criteria and supply limits.<\/p>\n
In Australia, access remains even narrower. Wegovy is currently subsidised only for patients with obesity who have already suffered a stroke or heart attack, leaving most people facing out-of-pocket costs of up to $4,000 or $5,000 per year.<\/p>\n
![\"Ozempic\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/c20c3c27e8d27d5135cf80c6b6bf4072aff809d4.png\")
Ozempic Credit: 7NEWS\/7NEWS<\/p>\n
Dr Yeo said the restricted access has created a major equity issue, with medical need often overshadowed by cosmetic demand.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese drugs are not cosmetic. There are too many people taking it to try and get into their bikini to try and fit into the dress,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese drugs are to treat obesity and obesity leading to a number of other diseases.\u201d<\/p>\n
For patients living with severe obesity, he said the medications can be both life-changing and life-saving, lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers, and even Alzheimer\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you reduce obesity, you reduce the cost to the nation of all these other diseases that kill you,\u201d Dr Yeo explained.<\/p>\n
His comments come as Australian doctors push for broader PBS access to weight-loss medications.<\/p>\n
Last week, Health Minister Mark Butler confirmed<\/a> he had received recommendations from PBS experts to list Wegovy for people with a BMI of 35 and established cardiovascular disease.<\/p>\n Play Video<\/p>\n Australian doctors are pushing for weight loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro to be added to the PBS for obesity treatment.<\/p>\n Australian doctors are pushing for weight loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro to be added to the PBS for obesity treatment.<\/p>\n More than 400,000 Australians currently pay private prices to access the drugs, with around six million Australians affected by obesity overall.<\/p>\n The World Health Organization has now endorsed the medications for long-term obesity treatment, though they do not work for everyone.<\/p>\n Between five and ten per cent of patients fail to respond for reasons that remain unclear.<\/p>\n The most common side effects affect the gastrointestinal system, including nausea, digestive discomfort, and muscle loss unless paired with weight-bearing exercise.<\/p>\n While government decisions on subsidies continue, Dr Yeo warned the obesity crisis is unlikely to be solved by medication alone.<\/p>\n Even with public funding, he said demand will far outstrip supply.<\/p>\n