‘Skinny jab’ drug firm facing fresh inquiries after ‘serious breaches’ of industry code

theguardian.com:

The maker of slimming jab Wegovy was facing crises on multiple fronts this weekend, with the UK medicines regulator announcing a review of its operations at the same time as an investigation is under way into the approval of its injections for NHS use.

In the last few days, Novo Nordisk has also been suspended from its pharmaceutical trade body and seen the loss of a key partnership with the Royal College of Physicians (RCP), which said on Friday that it had cut ties with the company after breaches of industry code.

The Danish manufacturer behind the weight-loss injections that have been hailed as a blockbuster new obesity treatment has recently enjoyed a wave of publicity before the arrival of Wegovy in England.

Its weekly injections contain the appetite suppressant semaglutide and are said to help patients lose up to 15% of their body weight.

But amid concern over the lasting effectiveness of the treatment, the company is facing scrutiny over its activities in the UK, including its payments to obesity experts and the “disguised promotion” of its weight-loss drugs via medical training courses.

Last week, an Observer investigation revealed that the company had paid £21.7m to health organisations and professionals in just three years as part of a campaign to boost its influence in the UK.

In some cases, those with links to Novo Nordisk went on to promote Wegovy in media interviews and in submissions to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice), the NHS’s cost-effectiveness watchdog, without always making their connections to the company clear.

Days after the Observer’s revelations, the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI), a trade association, announced that it had taken the rare step of