![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/0_GettyImages-1398230385.jpg\")
<\/p>\nHere are the two groups who may qualify for the tablet<\/p>\n
Fiona Callingham Lifestyle writer<\/p>\n
04:05, 17 Jun 2026<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The UK’s first GLP-1 receptor agonist tablet for weight loss and weight management was given the green light by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA)(Image: Getty)<\/p>\n
Two groups of people across the UK could be eligible for a groundbreaking weight loss treatment. This may allow qualifying patients to take Wegovy as a tablet rather than an injection.<\/p>\n
The UK’s first GLP-1 receptor agonist tablet for weight loss and weight management received approval from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on 11 June. GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) is a naturally occurring gut hormone that regulates blood sugar levels and appetite.<\/p>\n
The use of GLP-1 inhibitors, or receptor agonists, has soared in popularity in recent years due to their demonstrated effectiveness in managing blood sugar levels in diabetic patients and aiding weight loss. Available in injectable form, some of these medications can be prescribed through the NHS.<\/p>\n
This latest development, however, means that patients will now have the choice of taking a tablet instead of having an injection. According to an update on GOV.UK<\/a>, two groups of people could be eligible for the pill.<\/p>\n These include adults in the UK who are:<\/p>\n Living with obesity with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or above, orOverweight with a BMI between 27 and 30 and at least one weight-related comorbidity<\/p>\n Your BMI is calculated by dividing your weight (in kilograms) by your height (in metres squared). You can use the online NHS BMI calculator here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Although this tablet has received approval for use in the UK, it is not yet accessible through the NHS. As with all new treatments, decisions surrounding NHS availability will follow established procedures, including an assessment by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).<\/p>\n The initial dose for the semaglutide tablet will be 1.5 mg once daily, stepping up to 4 mg, 9 mg and 25 mg, with a minimum of one month required at each dosage level. Patients currently undergoing private treatment with a 2.4 mg semaglutide injection once weekly can be switched directly to the 25 mg semaglutide tablet once daily.<\/p>\n Julian Beach, executive director of healthcare quality and access at the MHRA, said: “Having met the MHRA’s rigorous standards of safety, quality and effectiveness, the semaglutide tablet has been approved in the UK for weight loss and weight management. As with all GLP-1 receptor agonists, this is a prescription-only medication.”<\/p>\n The most frequently reported side effects of semaglutide are gastrointestinal issues, including nausea, diarrhoea, constipation and vomiting. According to GOV.UK, the MHRA will continue to closely monitor the safety and effectiveness of semaglutide.<\/p>\n Anyone who suspects they may be experiencing a side effect from this medication is encouraged to speak with their doctor, pharmacist or nurse, and to report it directly to the MHRA Yellow Card scheme, either through the website<\/a> or by searching for MHRA Yellow Card on the Google Play or Apple App stores.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Here are the two groups who may qualify for the tablet Fiona Callingham Lifestyle writer 04:05, 17 Jun…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":744591,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[33],"tags":[49,48,84,14629,377,961,953],"class_list":["post-744590","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-medication","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-health","tag-healthy-eating","tag-medication","tag-nhs","tag-weight-loss"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/744590","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=744590"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/744590\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/744591"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=744590"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=744590"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=744590"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}