An assessment for the HSE of the weight-loss drug Wegovy has found that it is cost-effective and value for money, and should be made available to certain public patients, despite the high budget impact.

The National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE) said the HSE should consider making it available to public patients, who have a high body mass index, under certain clinical criteria.

The five-year budget cost would be around €4.4 billion for the full eligible population groups.

The assessment will now go to the HSE Drugs Group for consideration, who will then make a recommendation eventually to the HSE Senior Leadership for a final decision.

This may take several months.

In its assessment, the NCPE estimates the cost of Wegovy at €2,918 for each eligible patient a year, or €243 a month, based on a weekly dose of 2.4 milligrams.

Wegovy is made by Novo Nordisk and indicated for weight management, in conjunction with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity for people who are overweight or obese.

The cost assessment estimates are based on it being made available publicly to people with a body mass index (BMI) of between 27 and 30, and who also have a weight-related condition, or people who have a BMI of 30kg or more, and as a result they are deemed obese.

Professor Michael Barry, Clinical Director of the NCPE, said in his assessment that Wegovy has a lower cost than another weight loss drug, Mounjaro, which was considered earlier this week by the HSE Drugs Group, but no decision was made to recommend it on the public system.

Mounjaro was assessed in December 2025 by the NCPE as being €5,526 to €6,214 a year for each eligible patient and not cost-effective at that price.

However, the drug manufactured by Ely Lily made a new pricing offer in recent months to the State which would mean a much lower cost of about €2-€3bn a year, if it was made available on the public system.

But no recommendation was made on it this week, with the new offer.

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