The Pharmaceutical Advantages Advisory Committee (PBAC) has beneficial Wegovy (semaglutide) be subsidised by way of the Pharmaceutical Advantages Scheme (PBS) for adults with established heart problems and weight problems.
Diabetes Australia’s Group CEO Justine Cain has welcomed the advice and feedback from Federal Well being Minister Mark Butler indicating the federal government would work with producer Novo Nordisk to checklist the remedy, making it extra inexpensive for Australians.
“Supporting people who wish to drop extra pounds is a crucial a part of kind 2 diabetes prevention, and making certain the affordability of medicines that assist folks obtain that purpose is vital.
“There are a lot of elements that contribute to the event of kind 2 diabetes together with genetics or household historical past, however in 58% of instances it may be prevented or delayed. Supporting Australians with inexpensive entry to weight reduction medicines is one of many instruments that may assist with this,” Ms Cain mentioned.
The printed advice states that the subsidy needs to be supplied “for adults with established heart problems (eCVD) with weight problems. Sufferers will need to have already skilled a cardiovascular occasion similar to a coronary heart assault, stroke, or have symptomatic peripheral arterial illness.”
The Diabetes Alliance*, led by Diabetes Australia, made a joint submission to PBAC’s November 2025 assembly relating to the significance of entry to GLP-1 RA medicines (similar to semaglutide) for the therapy of weight problems, as a result of elevated threat of continual situations together with kind 2 diabetes and coronary heart illness.
“It’s glorious to see the recommendation of the sector being positively obtained,” Ms Cain mentioned.
“This separate advice about Wegovy is a useful step in the administration of weight problems and ongoing efforts to cut back the charges of continual situations in Australia.”
Over 1.3 million Australians reside with kind 2 diabetes and one other 2 million are vulnerable to creating the continual situation.
* The Diabetes Alliance contains Diabetes Australia, the Australian Diabetes Educators Affiliation, the Australian Diabetes Society, Breakthrough T1D, the Australasian Diabetes in Being pregnant Society, and the Australian and New Zealand Society for Paediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes.
