Vol. 2 No. 10 (2022)
Reimbursement Recommendations

Semaglutide (Wegovy)

Published October 4, 2022

Key Messages

  • CADTH recommends that Wegovy should not be reimbursed by public drug plans for chronic weight management in adult patients.
  • Even though results from 4 clinical trials showed that patients treated with Wegovy for 68 weeks lost more body weight compared to those who received placebo, there was no evidence to show this weight loss translates to improvements in weight-related comorbidities (e.g., cardiovascular complications, osteoarthritis [the most common form of arthritis], and sleep apnea) because they were not studied.
  • Although results showed improvements in health-related quality of life (HRQoL), the minimally important difference (MID) was not met, and it remains unknown if the differences were clinically meaningful.
  • Wegovy is effective for weight loss for up to 2 years with an acceptable side effect profile, but it is unclear whether it meets patient needs for reduced weight-related comorbidities and improved HRQoL.