Clinicians and patient groups called on Thursday for clarity on NHS access to Wegovy after Britain's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency approved the drug to treat serious liver disease linked to obesity and diabetes. The approval covers metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis, known as MASH.

The MHRA's decision extends the use of semaglutide, already authorised in the UK for weight management, to patients with advanced fatty liver disease. Novo Nordisk, which markets Wegovy, said the expansion followed trial data showing the treatment reduced liver inflammation and scarring in affected patients.

The British Liver Trust welcomed a new therapeutic option but warned that demand could outstrip supply. MASH has become a leading driver of liver transplants in the UK.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has not yet published guidance on whether the drug will be reimbursed for this indication, leaving funding uncertain. Hepatologists cautioned that lifestyle intervention would remain central to treatment and that not every patient would qualify.

Existing shortages of GLP-1 medicines, driven by high demand for weight-loss prescriptions, have already constrained supply across UK pharmacies. A Novo Nordisk spokesperson said the company was working with NHS bodies to support appropriate use of the treatment and to manage supply across therapeutic areas.