“The long-term benefits of these drugs could be monumental in our approach to tackling obesity,” he wrote. “For many people, these weight-loss jabs will be life-changing, help them get back to work, and ease the demands on our NHS.”
Streeting’s suggestion comes the same day after the U.K. government announced a £279 million investment from Lilly — the world’s largest pharmaceutical company and the chief rival to Wegovy and Ozempic-maker Novo Nordisk in the obesity drug market.
Streeting said the collaboration will include “exploring new ways of delivering health and care services to people living with obesity, and a five-year real-world study of a cutting-edge obesity treatment.”
The study in Greater Manchester between Lilly and Health Innovation Manchester will look at whether using Lilly’s obesity and diabetes drugs impacts participants’ “health-related quality of life” and “changes in [their] employment status and sick days from work.”
Last year, the Observer reported that Novo Nordisk had lobbied the then-Conservative government, suggesting they could profile people who claim state benefits and target them with weight-loss jabs.