The United Kingdom has approved a second weight-loss tablet, Orforglipron, following the recent arrival of Wegovy. The new medication, developed by the same manufacturers as Mounjaro, has received the green light from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
Orforglipron's approval by the MHRA comes approximately two months after Wegovy, another weight-loss drug from Novo Nordisk, was cleared for use in early June. Clinical trials indicate that patients taking Orforglipron shed an average of 11.2% of their body weight after 72 weeks of treatment.
Similar to Wegovy, Orforglipron is not yet available through the UK's National Health Service (NHS). Instead, it will initially be offered on a private prescription basis. Eligibility for the medication requires patients to have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or above, classified as obese, or a BMI of 27 or above if they have a weight-related health condition.
The MHRA stated that decisions regarding NHS availability will adhere to established evaluation processes, including assessment by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Julian Beach, MHRA Executive Director of Healthcare Quality and Access, commented on the decision, saying, "Following rigorous assessment of orforglipron's safety, quality, and effectiveness, we are pleased to be the first regulator in Europe to authorise this tablet for weight management and type 2 diabetes." He also noted that, as with other GLP-1 receptor agonists, Orforglipron is a prescription-only medication, and its safety and effectiveness will remain under close review by the MHRA.