New injectable drugs could help millions of people shed weight and get back to work and off benefits, the UK's Health Secretary has said.
On Wednesday, the UK announced it had approved a £40 million two-year pilot programme to explore how drugs, such as Novo Nordisk's Wegovy, can be given to obese patients outside of specialist services in hospitals.
It follows a move by the country's drug cost-effectiveness watchdog NICE to make the weekly shot available to adults with at least one weight-related condition and a body mass index of 35, but only within the NHS specialist weight management scheme.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the new scheme will reduce pressure on hospitals.
He said it will allow “people to live healthier and longer lives” and deliver on his “priority to cut NHS waiting lists”.
Asked on BBC Radio 4's Today programme whether the government aims to help millions lose weight and get people back to work and off benefits, Health Secretary Steve Barclay said: “Yes, we think this can be hugely significant.
“We know that obesity has very severe health consequences … the impact of obesity is very, very significant on the nation's health.
“We also know that many people will have tried to lose weight, will have struggled to do so or, indeed, if they have lost weight, will have struggled to keep that weight off, so it's right that we look at a range of innovations.”
Mr Barclay said the “purpose of the pilot is to inform what its potential scope is and what its wider benefits may be”.
He added: “You're right to signal there could be potential economic benefits because economic inactivity, mental health challenge, MSK (musculoskeletal conditions), various health challenges linked to obesity obviously have an impact in terms of the labour market, in terms of staff absence.
“But that's not the criteria on which this pilot is being set; it has been set on health criteria, and that's what we're focused on.
“From that pilot, the chief medical officer, working with the chief economist in the Treasury, will be looking at what wider benefits there may be, because there could be significant benefits economically."
In the UK, around one in every four adults are obese, according to the NHS.
Obesity is associated with many health conditions, including heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer.
The NHS says the best way to treat obesity is to eat a healthy reduced-calorie diet and exercise regularly.
Mr Barclay said the drugs may become available via the pilot scheme “later this year”, telling GB News: “It is part of a signal to suppliers that this is something the NHS is going to lead on.
“The funding is in place, we've been having those discussions with manufacturers.
“It is a very exciting development but it is one alongside a range of other measures that we're taking.”
Mr Barclay said there was now an “acceptance we need to use all the tools available” in tackling obesity.
He told Times Radio: “I think there's a recognition that obesity really causes health harm. Nine in 10 Type 2 diabetics are overweight, and the second biggest cause of cancer after smoking is obesity. Around a million people are admitted to hospital a year as a consequence of obesity."
Mr Barclay said the obesity drugs were “potential game changers” but they were not being given “in isolation” and would be offered alongside lifestyle and healthy eating advice.
Asked about remarks by the Duke of Sussex that the British Government has hit “rock bottom”, Health Secretary Steve Barclay told Nick Ferrari's show on LBC radio: “If you look at what we're announcing today, I think a really exciting innovation.
“What we're announcing today is that the NHS will be at the front of the queue with the very latest medicine that we're piloting to tackle obesity.
"That brings huge health benefits, and that's what we're focused on as a government: How can we innovate? How can we make sure the NHS is getting the latest drugs and tackling the big challenges, such as obesity.”
He added: “So that's what I'm focused on. How do we cut the waiting times? How do we innovate with drugs to tackle the big health challenges like obesity, and make sure that the NHS is world-leading in getting that innovative medicine to patients?
"Because there's a big health benefit if we can tackle obesity, and that's really how I'd respond to that.”
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
RESULT
Valencia 3
Kevin Gameiro 21', 51'
Ferran Torres 67'
Atlanta 4
Josip Llicic 3' (P), 43' (P), 71', 82'
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
ARM%20IPO%20DETAILS
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BMW%20M4%20Competition
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Company%20profile
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
World%20Food%20Day%20
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Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Company%C2%A0profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
ALRAWABI%20SCHOOL%20FOR%20GIRLS
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Honeymoonish
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Elie%20El%20Samaan%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENour%20Al%20Ghandour%2C%20Mahmoud%20Boushahri%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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1.
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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Singapore
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Hydrogen: Market potential
Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.
"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.
Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.
The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.
CONFIRMED%20LINE-UP
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Turning%20waste%20into%20fuel
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Prop idols
Girls full-contact rugby may be in its infancy in the Middle East, but there are already a number of role models for players to look up to.
Sophie Shams (Dubai Exiles mini, England sevens international)
An Emirati student who is blazing a trail in rugby. She first learnt the game at Dubai Exiles and captained her JESS Primary school team. After going to study geophysics at university in the UK, she scored a sensational try in a cup final at Twickenham. She has played for England sevens, and is now contracted to top Premiership club Saracens.
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Seren Gough-Walters (Sharjah Wanderers mini, Wales rugby league international)
Few players anywhere will have taken a more circuitous route to playing rugby on Sky Sports. Gough-Walters was born in Al Wasl Hospital in Dubai, raised in Sharjah, did not take up rugby seriously till she was 15, has a master’s in global governance and ethics, and once worked as an immigration officer at the British Embassy in Abu Dhabi. In the summer of 2021 she played for Wales against England in rugby league, in a match that was broadcast live on TV.
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Erin King (Dubai Hurricanes mini, Ireland sevens international)
Aged five, Australia-born King went to Dubai Hurricanes training at The Sevens with her brothers. She immediately struck up a deep affection for rugby. She returned to the city at the end of last year to play at the Dubai Rugby Sevens in the colours of Ireland in the Women’s World Series tournament on Pitch 1.
What is a black hole?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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