Associate Health Minister David Seymour is welcoming the move, but said the process of approving medicines in New Zealand remains too slow. The Herald understands the minister will be announcing changes to the pathway for approving new medicines later this week.
Wegovy is a semaglutide prescription injection developed by Danish healthcare company Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals. Semaglutide acts to regulate someone’s appetite to increase their feeling of fullness and reduce craving for food.
According to the European Medicines Agency, Wegovy has been effective in helping people lose weight, “with a significant proportion of them achieving at least a 5% weight reduction”. It lists risks as involving side effects such as headaches, nausea and diarrhoea.
The drug is intended to help with weight loss. Photo / 123rf
The drug, alongside Novo Nordisk’s similar Ozempic (used as diabetic medicine) has become extremely popular for weight loss overseas, including with Hollywood celebrities. Among the users was the world’s richest man and now-adviser to US President Donald Trump, Elon Musk.
It has now approved Wegovy for weight-loss purposes.
“Wegovy has been approved by Medsafe for use in weight loss,” a spokesperson confirmed to the Herald. “The decision to supply Wegovy in New Zealand sits with the company, Novo Nordisk Pharmaceuticals.”
A spokesperson for Novo Nordisk said Medsafe’s decision was “great news”.
“Wegovy is not yet available in New Zealand. Novo Nordisk is exploring options to provide access to Wegovy for people living with obesity and overweight in New Zealand as soon as possible.”
The medicine has been allowed for use as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity as part of weight loss in adults with a Body Mass Index (BMI) that classes them as obese, or overweight in the presence of at least one weight-related comorbidity. Adolescents aged 12 and up considered obese and weighing above 60kg can also use the product.
Associate Health Minister David Seymour has welcomed the decision. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Speaking to the Herald, Seymour said consenting Wegovy’s use for weight loss in New Zealand was “very exciting”.
“Obesity is a major problem in New Zealand. It leads to all sorts of complications around diabetes, orthopaedic problems. These drugs are making an enormous difference ... it is a game-changer for a lot of people.”
Seymour believed the Government would need to consider that “given the costs that we face with people being overweight, in terms of other medical treatments, is this something we need to start investing in?”.
“It’s going to be a decision for Pharmac, [in] which I respect their independence. I just make the point it’s probably a good example of where I’ve asked Pharmac to start saying, how can spending more on pharmaceuticals save us money elsewhere? Wegovy and Ozempic may be perfect examples of that.”
Seymour said he still believed medical consenting in New Zealand was “too slow” but reforms were being worked on.
Act, for example, campaigned at the last election on a “rule of two”. It would require Medsafe to approve a drug or medical device that had been approved by two comparable foreign regulatory bodies. Seymour said that would “happen very soon”.
“I’m pleased that this one’s consented, but the fact something got consented is not in itself evidence of high performance,” he said.
Labour health spokeswoman Dr Ayesha Verrall said she was aware evidence about the drugs was developing. She said funding it would need to stack up against other medicine decisions.
After Ozempic was approved for diabetes treatment in 2023, Novo Nordisk said it was looking at options to bring the drug to New Zealand. However, there were shortages at the time. In February this year, the company said the US Food and Drug Administration had determined a shortage there had been resolved.
Jamie Ensor is a political reporter in the NZ Herald Press Gallery team based at Parliament. He was previously a TV reporter and digital producer in the Newshub Press Gallery office.
