AS trials suggest they can treat ever more illnesses and more people use them to slim down, it is clear weight loss jabs are here to stay.
Big names Mounjaro and Wegovy will continue to rule the roost this year but big and potentially exciting changes are on the way that could better and cheaper.
From new tablet versions arriving in UK pharmacies to new drugs in development and extra uses for the old ones, the landscape will keep changing through 2026 and into 2027.
We take a look at what’s next for the blockbuster medicines:
NO SIGN OF DEMAND DROP
DEMAND for the jabs that started the craze is expected to keep rising in 2026.
Mounjaro and Wegovy are still just getting a foothold in the UK and pharmacists say the flow of customers shows no signs of stopping.
They are very powerful for many patients and relatively cheap for private healthcare, at £100 to £200 per month and with some chemists offering interest-free finance.
The National Pharmacy Association estimated that demand for the most popular drugs will double this year compared to 2025.
Its national poll found six per cent of the population want to take them, equal to 3.3million people.
That would be twice as many as the 1.6million people that a University College London study said used them last year.
The UCL research said about one in 10 adults in Britain, nearly five million people, had already used weight loss jabs in 2025 or wanted to start them.
NHS clinics cannot keep up with demand and more than 90 per cent of users pay for private prescriptions.
The NPA polling found demand was especially high in younger adults, with nine per cent of 25 to 49-year-olds intending to try the meds.
Chair of the association, Olivier Picard, said: “We expect a surge in the number of patients looking to start weight management treatments in the new year.”
Leyla Hannbeck, of the Independent Pharmacies Association, added: “2026 looks set to be the biggest year yet.”
THE FUTURE IS PILLS
JABS are still all the rage but manufacturers’ attention is turning to making their blockbuster drugs into pills.
Tablets are typically cheaper to make and easier for patients to take.
Experts predict they will “open the door to treatment for all” as many are still unable to get injections.
Pill versions of semaglutide, the drug in Wegovy and Ozempic, went on sale for weight loss for the first time in the US last week.
Private patients will pay between £110 and £220 for a month’s supply of the one-a-day medicines.
That is about the same cost as the injections in Britain and manufacturer Novo Nordisk claims the weight loss effect is equally strong.
They are set to hit the UK market later this year. Mounjaro manufacturer Eli Lilly is also planning to launch a slimming tablet here in 2026.
We expect a surge in the number of patients looking to start weight management treatments in the new year
Olivier Picard
Trial results from the pill orforglipron have been submitted to the MHRA for approval after showing people lost an average of 11 per cent bodyweight in 18 months.
Study author Dr Deborah Horn, from the University of Texas in Houston, said: “The opportunity for an oral medication with highly effective weight loss that is simpler to take may provide increased access.
“Orforglipron is scheduled to be available in 2026 at a significantly decreased cost compared to current injectables.
“This could open the door to treatment for all.”
NEW YEAR, NEW JAB
SHOPPERS always want bigger and better and weight loss jabs seem to be no exception.
Demand for Mounjaro surged as studies revealed it was more powerful than Wegovy, and now an experimental new drug is making waves online amid claims it will be even stronger.
Retatrutide is Mounjaro-maker Eli Lilly’s next big thing and is midway through global clinical trials.
It activates a third hormone receptor on top of the two used by Mounjaro, which experts say turbocharges weight loss.
Early study results in 2024 found participants lost 29 per cent of their bodyweight in less than a year.
Trial chief Professor Ania Jastreboff, from Yale University, said at the time: “The results are striking. This degree of weight reduction in this time frame has not been seen before.”
Hype has been building online ever since and it has earned the nicknames “Godzilla” and “Triple G”, with dodgy websites already claiming to have supplies for sale.
Experts warn people not to buy them as legitimate supplies are not yet available anywhere in the world.
Clinical trials are still ongoing but final results are expected this year. If they back up the success seen in early studies, Lilly is likely to get it on sale in 2027.
MORE NEW DRUGS… AND NEW TRICKS
PHARMACUTICAL companies are constantly working on new drugs and finding new ways to repurpose old ones.
As well as retatrutide, similar medicines in development include cagrilintide and survodutide.
Cagrilintide is from Ozempic-maker Novo Nordisk and works by mimicking a hormone called amylin, which makes people feel fuller and eat less.
It has been combined with the Ozempic chemical semaglutide in a single jab called CagriSema.
Trial results published in the New England Journal of Medicine last year showed people lost an average of 23 per cent bodyweight in 17 months taking the combo, compared to 16 per cent on Wegovy alone.
That is slightly more than a 20 per cent weight reduction from Mounjaro reported in a separate study in the same year.
CagriSema results have been submitted to the USA Food and Drug Administration for approval.
This degree of weight reduction in this time frame has not been seen before
Ania Jastreboff, from Yale University
Analysis by US company Prime Therapeutics suggests a decision could come in 2027.
A decision on survodutide is also expected next year.
It is made by Boehringer Ingelheim and Zealand Pharma and weight loss studies are ongoing but early results showed patients lost 19 per cent in a year – roughly on par with Mounjaro.
Meanwhile, new groups of patients are being added to the list of who should get Wegovy and Mounjaro on the NHS.
Studies suggest the drugs can help with heart disease, obstructive sleep apnoea, kidney disease, arthritis, liver disease and even Alzheimer’s.
As companies realise the full benefits of their medicines they can apply for extra licences to prescribe the drugs to new patients, so they may be used to treat more illnesses in 2026, 2027 and beyond.
CHEAP VERSIONS BLACK MARKET RISK
A BIG industry shake-up this year is set to see legal bargain versions of Ozempic and Wegovy developed in countries including Canada, China and India.
The copyright, or patent, for the jabs’ ingredient semaglutide will expire in a number of countries also including Turkey and Brazil in 2026.
That means other companies will be free to pinch the recipe, make their own versions of the blockbuster injections and sell them for whatever price they want.
These are known as “generic” medicines and market competition keeps the price of common pills down to pennies.
Although it will be illegal to ship the cheap copies to the UK, there is a risk they will come in on the black market.
Brits already buy loads of knock-off medicines from abroad, including Viagra, painkillers, Botox – and fat jabs.
More than 57million doses of illicit medicines have been seized by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency since 2020.
Olivier Picard, chair of the National Pharmacy Association, said: “We know that there is a significant black market for weight loss medication in the UK, with criminals pursuing profit over the safety of patients.
“We are concerned that this will only continue to grow.
“Authorities should remain vigilant that any lifting of patents in other parts of the world does not indirectly benefit illegal sellers in the UK.
“It is really important that patients wanting to explore starting weight management treatment only go to regulated pharmacies, either online or in person on your high street.”
The UK will not get legal generic versions of Wegovy until the patent runs out in 2028, while the Mounjaro recipe is legally protected in Britain until 2032.
The 7 fat jab mistakes stopping you losing weight
WHILE weight loss jabs have been hailed as a breakthrough in helping tackle Britain’s obesity crisis, some users say they’re missing out on their waist-shrinking powers – and it could be down to some simple mistakes…
POOR PENMANSHIP
Many people don’t correctly use the injection pen, according to Ana Carolina Goncalves, a pharmacist at Pharmica in Holborn, London.
Make sure to prime your weight loss pen correctly, as per the instructions. If nothing comes out, try again, and if it still doesn’t work, switch the needle or ask a pharmacist for help.
It’s also recommended to rotate injection sites between the abdomen, thigh and upper arm to avoid small lumps of fat under the skin.
TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE
Make sure you’re using the jabs on the most effective day of your schedule.
For example, taking the jab right before a takeaway or party won’t stop you from indulging, says Jason Murphy, head of pharmacy and weight loss expert at Chemist4U.
Weight loss injections need time to build up in your system, so if you’re planning for a heavier weekend, inject your dose mid-week.
MAKING A MEAL OF IT
You may not feel the urge to overeat at mealtimes due to the jabs. But skipping meals altogether can backfire, says Dr David Huang, director of clinical innovation at weight loss service Voy.
If a person is extremely malnourished, their body goes into emergency conservation mode, where their metabolism slows down.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
A key mistake using weight loss jabs is not eating the right foods.
As well as cutting out sugary drinks and alcohol, Dr Vishal Aggarwal, Healthium Clinics recommends focusing on your protein intake.
DE-HYDRATION STATIONS
Dehydration is a common side effect of weight loss injections. But it’s important to say hydrated in order for your body to function properly.
Dr Crystal Wyllie, GP at Asda Online Doctor, says hydration supports metabolism, digestion, and can reduce side effects like headaches, nausea and constipation.
MOVE IT, MOVE IT
It can be easy to see the jabs as a quick fix, but stopping exercising altogether is a mistake, says Mital Thakrar, a pharmacist from Well Pharmacy.
Exercise helps maintain muscle mass and help shape the body as you lose weight, which may be crucial if you’re experiencing excess skin.
QUIT IT
While there’s the tendency to ditch the jabs as soon as you reach your desired weight, stopping them too soon can cause rapid regain.
Mr Thakrar recommends building habits like healthier eating during treatment for sustaining results.
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