Weight-loss pills have received UK regulatory approval, making the treatment accessible for the first time to those put off by needles.
Wegovy tablets have been approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency for prescription to UK adults with a body mass index of 30 or above, or who are overweight with a BMI between 27 and 30 and at least one weight-related condition.
“Having met the MHRA’s rigorous standards of safety, quality and effectiveness, the semaglutide [Wegovy] tablet has been approved in the UK for weight-loss and weight management,” said Julian Beach, MHRA executive director of healthcare quality and access.
“As with all GLP-1 receptor agonists, this is a prescription-only medication.”
The move paves the way for growth in demand in an already surging market for weight-loss drugs. It is an earlier than expected outcome to an MHRA review that started last year after Wegovy owner Novo Nordisk submitted the pills for approval. They have been available since January in the US, where they have generated over $350m of sales in the first quarter of 2026, according to Shore Capital.
Weight-loss jabs wiped £780m from UK household grocery spend in the year to the end of February 2026, according to data from Worldpanel by Numerator on Wednesday. The proportion of households with at least one user shot from 2.3% in 2024 to 6.3% in 2026, and each of those households is spending £418 less on take-home food and drink.
“These drugs are fundamentally disrupting how people engage with food and drink, with ripple effects already being felt across grocery and lifestyle, forcing brands and businesses to adapt at pace,” said Chantel Kennaugh, Worldpanel head of public sector and nutrition.
Shore Capital VC Clive Black said: “The pill is clearly likely to be more accessible for many users than the injection route, which leads us to assert, whilst keeping our feet on the ground, that this is a notable moment for the UK food system.
“Depending upon approvals from Nice in the UK, increased distribution through the NHS could yet follow, albeit costs are clearly going to be an issue; monthly US charges for the pill range from $150-$300 depending upon dosage.”
The UK approved starting dose for the tablets is 1.5mg daily, increasing to 4mg, 9mg and 25mg, with a minimum duration of one month at each dose level. Patients currently treated privately with a 2.4mg Wegovy injection once weekly can be transitioned straight to 25mg tablets once daily.
Retailers have been preparing for high demand for the pills ahead of today’s decision. Superdrug last week invited customers to register their interest in Wegovy pills, saying it anticipated “significant public interest”.
“We’re aware that there is considerable and growing public interest in the evolving landscape of weight management treatments,” said Superdrug Online Doctor GP Clair Grainger. “As new options become available, it’s essential that people have access to reliable information from qualified healthcare professionals.”
Morrisons Clinic, an online partnership between the supermarket and the digital pharmacy platform Phlo, has been inviting customers who have already expressed interest in weight-loss jabs to sign up to buy the pills once approved.
Seismic moment
Lisa Tookey, CEO of online weight loss treatment provider CheqUp, said: “The approval of a Wegovy weight-loss pill is a seismic moment for weight management in the UK and we are already seeing unprecedented demand, with tens of thousands of people on our waitlist for the medication – people who had previously shied away from injections. It changes the game completely, making clinically supported treatment more accessible, widening access to weight loss medication to millions more people across the country.
“Early data from the US suggests oral weight-loss treatment is expanding the number of people using weight-loss medication, with more than 80% of pill users understood to be new to GLP-1 treatment, rather than switching from injections. We expect to see a similar pattern in the UK, with a tablet option bringing more people into clinically supported care, not simply moving existing patients from one format to another.”
On Tuesday, Boots credited demand for weight-loss jabs with boosting sales in its annual results. Pharmacy sales were up by 5% in the year to the end of August 2025 as Boots delivered 800,000 NHS Pharmacy First consultations in England, with weight-loss treatments proving “especially popular”.
Revenue from Boots.com, including Boots Online Doctor, shot up by 18.3%. Uptake of weight-loss drugs also helped boost like-for-like store sales by 5.8% and overall revenue 3.2% to £7.5bn.
Asda launched its Asda Online Pharmacy in 2024, allowing shoppers to order Wegovy and Mounjaro. Data for The Grocer from Spendmapper, based on the card transactions of 180,000 consumers, shows Asda Online Doctor monthly sales shot up from less than £5m in 2024 to £30m by July 2025. The Grocer understands the pharmacy hub continues to grow, beating sales targets by as much as £40m, according to a source.
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