Australians will soon be able to swap weight-loss injections for a pill, with a new form of popular medicine Wegovy approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration.
A once-daily pill will be available to Australians before Christmas, according to 7NEWS, with more than 10,000 residents already signed up to the waiting list.
Wegovy manufacturer Novo Norsdisk said the company was “working to bring the new treatment option”, with other GLP-1 medications such as Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro only available in Australia as injections.
The new pill will be able to be swallowed every morning on an empty stomach.
A Department of Health spokesman said the Wegovy pill will be available in 1.5mg, 4mg, 9mg and 25mg strengths.
“The indications are consistent with those approved for the injectable formulation of Wegovy,” a spokesman said.
The approval comes just more than three months after Australia’s medicine regulator issued a safety warning over the popular weight-loss drugs, saying they could cause a rare vision disorder.
The TGA said those medicines have the potential to cause a rare, but severe, form of eye disorder called non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION).
The disorder may result in permanent visual impairment, including blindness. There is currently no treatment for it.
The TGA urges any patients who experience sudden vision loss, even if only partial, should seek urgent medical attention.
Get the latest news from thewest.com.au in your inbox.
Sign up for our emails