BLOCKBUSTER weight loss jabs could soon be sold for as little as £20 a month.
Firms may be able to make their own “generic” versions of the drugs for much cheaper from early next year, it’s been revealed.
The patent for semaglutide, the active ingredient in Wegovy, is expiring in some countries next year[/caption]
Hundreds of thousands of Brits are paying eye-watering sums to get their hands on weight loss jabs privately, as the NHS issues limited prescriptions.
A monthly prescription for Wegovy can cost up to £200 a month, depending on the dose.
But that could change from early 2026, when the global patent for semaglutide – the main ingredient in Wegovy and diabetes jab Ozempic – held by Danish drug giant Novo Nordisk begins to expire in several countries.
Rival manufacturers will then be able to make their own versions of the drug, known as generic versions, which contain the same active ingredients as brand-name drugs and work the same way.
This could send prices tumbling by up to 90 per cent, according to Medicines UK.
Mark Samuels, chief executive of Medicines UK, told the Daily Mail the arrival of generic weight-loss jabs could be a “potentially transformative opportunity for public health“.
In the UK, Novo Nordisk’s patent for semaglutide isn’t set to expire until 2031, but patients may still see effects of patents lapsing elsewhere.
Generic medicines typically cost 20 to 90 per cent less than their branded equivalents, and competition can force big drug-makers to slash prices – sometimes even before patents expire, according to Medicines UK.
Mr Samuels told the Daily Mail: “We advise against purchasing from overseas pharmacies, or travelling abroad to buy cut-price jabs.
“However, the advent of generics will create competition, and it’s likely we’ll see a significant reduction in prices here too.
“Ultimately, this will mean the NHS can afford to treat more patients.
“Greater access to these medicines will also ease the crippling strain obesity-related conditions place on resources.”
Patents are due to expire next year in India, Canada, China, Brazil and Turkey, which together make up 40 per cent of the world’s population and 33 per cent of all adults living with obesity, according to IQVIA.
Experts warn cut-price weight loss jabs will likely make their way in the UK, fuelling what’s known as the “grey market” for injections.
This refers to products bought from overseas websites or through social media sellers that bypass UK safety checks and are likely fake.
Within the past month, several pharmaceutical firms have confirmed plans to apply for licences to sell generic versions of semaglutide.
Competition ramps up
Dozens of companies are already preparing to cash in when semaglutide patents begin expiring next month.
Last week, global drug company Adalvo announced it intended to make unbranded semaglutide injections, at doses ranging from 0.25mg to 2mg.
Meanwhile, Swiss generics giant Sandoz last month revealed plans to offer generic versions of semaglutide next year, at discounts of up to 70 per cent compared to branded versions.
Its chief executive Richard Saynor told the Financial Times that cuts of “60 or 70 per cent of the list price” were achievable.
It all comes after the European Patent Office recently overturned Novo Nordisk’s attempt to extend its semaglutide patent until 2033.
The challenge was brought by two generics firms – Israeli company Teva and Spanish outfit Galenicum Health – underlining the growing interest in semaglutide from the wider sector.
A spokesman for Novo Nordisk told the Daily Mail: “Patent expiry is a natural part of a pharmaceutical product lifecycle.
“We are committed to continued innovation and are exploring new molecules, combinations and formulations to help improve the lives of people living with diabetes and obesity worldwide.”
David Wallace, senior analyst at pharmaceutical firm Citeline, also told the publication that semaglutide competition “is expected to be very healthy”.
He added: “Since generic medicinal products contain well-known, safe and effective substances, the pre-clinical tests and clinical trials performed by the originator are not repeated, which is why they are cheaper.”
While generic versions of medicines may differ in size, colour or shape, and can include different non-active ingredients such as starches, sugars or colourings – they have the exact same effect on the body.
They also meet exactly the same standards of quality, safety and efficacy as all other licensed drugs.
It is thought an estimated 1.5million Brits now use weight loss injections.
At the start of the month, American pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly raised the list price of its weight loss jab Mounjaro.
While this didn’t change anything for patients accessing the jab through the NHS – of which there are comparatively few – it meant patients buying them privately through online pharmacies and clinics faced steep price rises.
In response, many patients sought to switch to rival jab Wegovy, after Novo Nordisk announced its prices would remain unchanged.
Earlier this month, The Sun revealed that one death a week is now linked to the popular injections.
