Te first GLP-1 weight loss tablet has been cleared for use in Australia daily Wegovy tablet has been cleared for use in Australia.
The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) signed off on Tuesday on the Wegovy pill made by Danish pharmaceuticals giant Novo Nordisk.
Until now, Australians with prescriptions have only been able to use GLP-1 drugs in the form of weekly injections.
The decision comes after the pill was approved in the United States and Europe, where demand surged once it hit the market.
Who can get it
Patients will need a doctor’s prescription, and approval covers people with obesity and those needing to reduce cardiovascular risk.
Under current rules, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) only subsidises weight loss drugs for people with type 2 diabetes.
A price guide has not has been set for Australia, but in the US, the pill generally costs less than the injection, despite each tablet containing more semaglutide.
Packaging and production processes of the pill are yet to be approved. (Reuters: Hollie Adams)
One tablet containing 25 milligrams of semaglutide acts the same as a 2.4 milligram injection, due to the body absorbing active ingredients less efficiently when taken orally.
A spokesperson for the TGA said the pill had been approved in four different strengths: 1.5 mg, 4 mg, 9 mg and 25 mg.
The TGA is yet to review the packaging and production processes to confirm they meet quality standards before the product can be released.
Novo Nordisk has previously flagged Australia as a priority market for the pill, which saw three million prescriptions for the drug made in the first five months of its availability in the US this year.
The company has been contacted for comment.
The tablet is the first of the weight loss drugs in Australia to be approved for oral use. (Getty Images: Steve Christo – Corbis / Contributor)
Rival Eli Lilly, the maker of Mounjaro, has its own oral weight loss drug, Orforglipro, awaiting a decision from the TGA.
Source: www.abc.net.au
