The Next Wave of Weight-Loss Drugs Coming to the UK

Why there's a "next wave" at all

The current UK weight-loss medicines — semaglutide (Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro) — work mainly by mimicking gut hormones that curb appetite. The drugs now in late-stage development go further, targeting two or three hormone receptors at once. The idea is that adding a glucagon action (which can raise energy expenditure and reduce liver fat) or combining with amylin may increase weight loss beyond what single- or dual-incretin drugs achieve. That is the promise; the licensing, long-term safety and UK availability are a separate question, and that is what this page tracks.

The pipeline, by UK regulatory status

Trial percentages below are manufacturer-reported, trial-level averages, not a promise of individual results, and figures from different trials are not directly comparable because the study designs, doses and follow-up lengths differ.

Mazdutide (dual GLP-1/glucagon)

Mazdutide is a once-weekly injection developed by Innovent (licensed from Eli Lilly). In June 2025 China's regulator (the NMPA) approved it for chronic weight management — making it the first dual glucagon/GLP-1 receptor agonist approved for weight loss anywhere. In the phase 3 GLORY-2 trial in Chinese adults with obesity, the 9 mg dose produced weight loss of up to about 20%. Importantly, that approval applies only in China; mazdutide is not licensed by the MHRA, the US FDA or the EMA, so it cannot be prescribed in the UK.

Survodutide (dual GLP-1/glucagon)

Survodutide, from Boehringer Ingelheim and Zealand Pharma, is a once-weekly injection being developed for both obesity and metabolic (fatty) liver disease. In the phase 3 SYNCHRONIZE-1 obesity trial it produced average weight loss of up to 16.6% at 76 weeks, versus 3.2% on placebo. It has US FDA Breakthrough Therapy designation (September 2024) for a form of fatty-liver disease and is in the EMA's PRIME scheme (November 2023) — but these are development-support designations, not approvals. Survodutide remains investigational and is not licensed in the UK or anywhere else.

Retatrutide (triple GLP-1/GIP/glucagon)

Retatrutide is Eli Lilly's once-weekly triple agonist — it acts on three receptors (GLP-1, GIP and glucagon). In its phase 3 TRIUMPH programme it has reported some of the largest weight-loss figures seen in this drug class: in the TRIUMPH-1 obesity trial (results announced May 2026), the highest dose produced average weight loss of about 28% at 80 weeks. Despite the headline numbers, retatrutide is still investigational — it is not approved by the MHRA, FDA or EMA, and further phase 3 results are due through 2026.

CagriSema (amylin + GLP-1)

CagriSema, from Novo Nordisk, is a once-weekly combination of cagrilintide (an amylin receptor agonist) and semaglutide (a GLP-1 receptor agonist). Strictly it is a combination rather than an incretin/glucagon multi-agonist, but it is part of the same next-generation wave. In the phase 3 REDEFINE 1 trial it produced average weight loss of up to about 23%. Novo Nordisk submitted it to the US FDA in December 2025, with a decision expected later in 2026. It is not yet licensed in the UK.

Orforglipron (oral GLP-1)

Orforglipron is a once-daily tablet GLP-1 drug from Eli Lilly — notable because it does not require an injection. It was approved in the United States on 1 April 2026 (brand name Foundayo) but is not licensed by the MHRA, so it is not available in the UK. We cover it in detail in our orforglipron UK availability guide.

What about muscle loss and side effects?

Across this whole drug class, the most common side effects are gut-related — nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea — and these are the main reason some people stop treatment. As with existing GLP-1 medicines, rapid weight loss can include loss of muscle as well as fat, which is why clinical supervision, protein intake and resistance exercise matter; we explain this in our guide on GLP-1 medicines and muscle loss. None of the next-wave drugs yet has the years of post-marketing UK safety data that semaglutide and tirzepatide have accumulated.

When might any of these reach the UK?

There is no confirmed UK launch date for any of them. Each must first clear an MHRA review, and for NHS funding a NICE appraisal after that. Any specific "coming to the UK soon" claims you see online are estimates, not official commitments. We will update this page as the UK regulatory position changes for each drug.

What UK patients can do now

• Don't buy these drugs online — there is no safe, legal UK source for any of them yet.
• Talk to your GP or pharmacist about weight management. If a medicine is appropriate, Wegovy and Mounjaro are licensed and available in the UK through proper routes.
• Treat headline percentages with caution — trial averages are not individual guarantees, and bigger short-term numbers do not automatically mean a drug is safer or better for you.
• If you're already on a weight-loss injection and worried about supply, you can check current UK shortages and set up free alerts.

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