A new treatment option — the GLP-1 drug semaglutide (Wegovy) — will be available on the NHS within months, with around 1.2 million people with cardiovascular disease eligible to receive it to help prevent heart attacks and strokes.
NICE has published draft guidance recommending semaglutide be offered in England from this summer for people who have previously had a heart attack, stroke, or peripheral arterial disease and who are overweight or obese (BMI ≥27). The NHS has negotiated a deal making the treatment cost‑effective for use on the health service.
Semaglutide is given as a weekly injection and will be prescribed alongside a healthy diet and increased physical activity. It can be used together with other common cardiovascular medicines, such as statins and antihypertensives, to improve outcomes.
Semaglutide is already available on the NHS for obesity through specialist weight management services in line with NICE guidance, and another brand, Ozempic, is widely prescribed for type 2 diabetes. Clinical trial data show semaglutide reduced the risk of major cardiovascular events (heart attack, stroke, or cardiovascular death) by about 20% in people with cardiovascular disease who are overweight, compared with placebo.
The move forms part of the NHS 10-Year Health Plan to help people live well with long-term conditions, avoid complications, and reduce preventable hospital visits or deaths. Previous measures — including faster use of blood‑thinning medicines — have helped more than 500,000 people and prevented thousands of strokes and deaths; blood pressure and cholesterol‑lowering treatments are also helping millions manage heart health.
Quotes
– Helen Williams, National Clinical Director for Cardiovascular Disease Prevention at NHS England: “For more than a million people at high risk of heart attack and stroke, this treatment on the NHS could be life‑changing… Used alongside a healthy diet and regular exercise, semaglutide could help prevent thousands of future major cardiovascular events and give many people the chance at a longer and healthier life.”
– Jack Turner, Deputy Director for Medicines Negotiation at NHS England: “This latest NHS deal… will enable NHS patients in England to benefit from the latest application of the drug, semaglutide, that is already helping people as a treatment for obesity and type 2 diabetes… in a way that avoids the need for emergency care.”
– Health Minister Sharon Hodgson: “Weight loss drugs are proving to be a game changer in tackling obesity. Extending their use for people who also suffer from cardiovascular disease will be a life saver… this new guidance could help more than a million people.”
– Juliet Bouverie OBE, CEO of the Stroke Association: Stroke shares many risk factors with other cardiovascular disease. Weight loss medication can be a suitable option for some stroke survivors, though individual needs must be considered alongside other measures such as anticoagulants, smoking cessation, healthy diet, and alcohol monitoring.
– Dr Sonya Babu‑Narayan, Clinical Director at the British Heart Foundation: “So‑called ‘weight loss drugs’ like semaglutide have proven benefits beyond reducing the number on the scales — they are now considered important medicines for preventing deadly heart attacks and strokes… it’s important that new and effective medicines which prevent cardiovascular disease complications get to everyone who could benefit as soon as possible.”