- Hon David Seymour
Associate Health Minister David Seymour says the Government is delivering on its promise to give Kiwis access to more treatments, with Wegovy now available via prescription for weight loss.
Medsafe made the decision to approve Wegovy in April. Stock has now arrived and is ready to be sold to Kiwis who are prescribed the medicine for weight loss.
"More than two in three adults and nearly one-third of children in New Zealand live with obesity or are overweight. This puts a major strain on the health system and can lead to serious health problems down the track. We're giving Kiwis access to another tool to deal with this problem," says Mr Seymour.
"The combined impact of these conditions is significant, with reports estimating the cost of excess weight in New Zealand as being between $4-9 billion per year. One of the common implications of obesity is cardiovascular disease, which costs the country approximately $3.3 billion per year.
"Treating obesity early reduces the risk of developing serious conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease and liver disease.
Wegovy is currently unfunded so patients will pay for the treatment. Any future decisions around funding are for Pharmac and the supplier, and completely independent of the Minister.
"These drugs are making an enormous difference in other countries. I hope that they can be a game-changer for a lot of people in New Zealand now as well," says Mr Seymour.
