The Pharmaceutical Advantages Advisory Committee (PBAC) has advisable Wegovy (semaglutide) be subsidised via 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 record the treatment, making it extra inexpensive for Australians.
“Supporting people who need to drop some pounds is a vital a part of sort 2 diabetes prevention, and guaranteeing the affordability of medicines that assist individuals obtain that purpose is essential.
“There are a lot of elements that contribute to the event of sort 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 revealed advice states that the subsidy ought to be supplied “for adults with established heart problems (eCVD) with weight problems. Sufferers should have already skilled a cardiovascular occasion akin 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 concerning the significance of entry to GLP-1 RA medicines (akin to semaglutide) for the therapy of weight problems, as a result of elevated threat of continual situations together with sort 2 diabetes and coronary heart illness.
“It’s glorious to see the recommendation of the sector being positively acquired,” Ms Cain mentioned.
“This separate advice about Wegovy is a useful step in the administration of weight problems and ongoing efforts to scale back the charges of continual situations in Australia.”
Over 1.3 million Australians reside with sort 2 diabetes and one other 2 million are susceptible 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.
