Novo Nordisk has announced the launch of Wegovy® in Hong Kong, now available at private clinics and selected pharmacies. Clinically proven for long-term weight management, Wegovy® represents a significant step forward in addressing the city's escalating health burden through evidence-based care for obesity as a chronic disease.
Wegovy® is the first once-weekly prescription weight-loss medication approved for adolescents aged 12 and above in Hong Kong.
Wegovy® contains semaglutide, a GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) receptor agonist that helps regulate appetite. By modulating brain's central hub for hunger and satiety control, Wegovy® helps patients lower their energy intake, enhances feelings of fullness and control over-eating, and experience fewer and less intense cravings.
As the world's first once-weekly GLP-1 receptor agonist formulation for long-term weight management, global large-scale clinical studies - the STEP programme and the SELECT study have demonstrated Wegovy®'s efficacy in achieving sustained weight loss and improving obesity-related health outcomes.
Obesity is a complex chronic disease and an increasingly urgent health challenge in Hong Kong. According to the Hong Kong 2020-2022 Population Health Survey, 32.6% of adults aged 15 to 84 are classified as obese (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2), and 22.0% as overweight (BMI 23-25 kg/m2). Student Health Service Annual Health Report for 2023/24 School Year from the Department of Health indicates that 20% of secondary school students are classified as overweight or obese. Despite its high prevalence, public awareness remains low: a recent study found that over one-third of obese respondents considered themselves only "slightly overweight", while 70% were unaware that obesity is defined by the World Health Organization as a chronic disease.
