NICE Plans Early Weight-Loss Jabs for Millions With Diabetes

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in England has proposed draft guidance to significantly overhaul type 2 diabetes treatment, emphasizing personalized care to prevent complications such as heart attacks and heart failure. This guidance recommends that sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT-2) inhibitors, currently second-line treatments, become joint first-line options alongside metformin, and that glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists like liraglutide and semaglutide be offered earlier to selected patient groups, including those with cardiovascular disease, early-onset diabetes, or obesity. The use of GLP-1 drugs, also known for their appetite-suppressing weight loss benefits, is expected to expand to around five million people, a considerable increase from the current 200,000 NHS patients using these injections. NICE estimates that wider adoption of these treatments could save nearly 22,000 lives by improving cardiovascular and kidney health outcomes. The shift represents a move away from a uniform treatment approach toward one that takes a holistic view of patients’ health, supported by increased use of digital health tools like continuous glucose monitoring. Experts have hailed the guidance as a landmark modernization of diabetes care, potentially preventing serious complications before they occur.