By Maggie Fick
LONDON (Reuters) -UK-based Simple Online Pharmacy has received stock of Novo Nordisk’s weight-loss drug Wegovy, a company spokesperson said on Tuesday, one day after Novo launched the drug in Britain.
Wegovy, shown to help patients reduce body weight by around 15% when used alongside exercise and lifestyle changes, is so far available in the United States, Norway, Denmark, Germany, and as of Monday, Britain.
But Novo has been unable to produce enough of the drug to keep pace with demand.
Novo said when announcing what it called a “limited and controlled” launch in Britain that Wegovy will be available on the NHS’ weight management scheme and “privately through a registered healthcare professional”.
Some doctors and medical experts warned on Monday that people in Britain who can afford to pay out of their own pocket may get easier access to Wegovy than those seeking treatment in the country’s state-run health service.
Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) did not immediately respond to a query from Reuters on Tuesday morning about whether it had received stocks of Wegovy.
(Reporting by Maggie Fick; editing by Jason Neely and Louise Heavens)
