Revealed: maker of Wegovy ‘skinny jab’ is funding NHS weight-loss services
The pharmaceutical company that makes Wegovy slimming jabs is funding the expansion of weight-loss services across England as it seeks to boost sales of its obesity drugs, the Observer can reveal.
Novo Nordisk is paying the salaries of staff on NHS obesity teams and financing the launch and redesign of services, including giving £206,000 to a health partnership to transform its treatment of obesity. The Danish firm also has financial links to the co-chair of an NHS England weight management advisory group, and paid her almost £50,000 in lecture, consulting and other fees in just two years.
Novo Nordisk’s funding arrangements are under the spotlight after an Observer investigation in March found it had paid £21.7m to UK health organisations and professionals in three years before the approval of its Wegovy injections for NHS use.
In some cases, recipients of the funding went on to praise Wegovy or support its approval for use on the NHS without always making their links to Novo clear. This weekend, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) said an internal inquiry had found that some of those who advised it on the use of Wegovy in the NHS had not properly declared their interests.
Now further documents reveal how Novo Nordisk has been granted a potential role in shaping obesity treatment through partnerships with NHS trusts, pharmacies and GPs to provide training and funding.
In one case, the company is paying £206,000 to an integrated care system to help it “transform” its specialist obesity services and “reduce unnecessary barriers” to treatment.
Novo’s money is paying for two “dedicated” staff members and “independent facilitation support” for a partnership with Mid and South Essex NHS trust and local
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