Stopping Wegovy/Mounjaro: drugs not a short-term fix, says NICE

GLP-1 weight loss injections have been hailed as revolutionary tools in the drive to tackle Britain's growing obesity crisis.

Drugs like Wegovy (semaglutide) and Mounjaro (tirzepatide) offer a route to safe and effective weight loss for the millions living with obesity in the UK.¹ And uptake has exceeded expectations, with an estimated 500,000 people in Britain using Wegovy or Mounjaro sourced from private prescribers like SemaPen.

Public health access is improving, too. The NHS began offering Wegovy to those most at need in September 2023. And following a limited rollout in June 2025, the health service is expected to offer Mounjaro to around 240,000 patients over the next three years.

But with this growing patient base comes growing concerns about the role of GLP-1 drugs in long-term weight management. Are prescribers doing enough to support patients when they stop taking Wegovy or Mounjaro?

This is a question that the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) hopes to address in its newly updated obesity management guidelines.

What do the new guidelines say?

NICE's new guidelines call on prescribers to offer follow-up support and advice for patients when they stop taking weight loss injections.

Among its recommendations are tailored action plans for patients, online help through platforms like NHS Better Health and improved access to community fitness groups.

The organisation recommends that healthcare providers monitor patients for at least one year after treatment and be ready to provide extra support if necessary.

'Successful weight management doesn't end when medication stops or when someone completes a behavioural programme', commented NICE's chief medical officer, Jonathan Benger.

'We know that the transition period after treatment is crucial, and people need structured support to maintain the positive changes they've made.'

NICE is the main health assessment body for England and Wales. While its guidelines are not legally binding, they represent the benchmark for evidence-based clinical best practice. That means its new obesity management guidelines are highly likely to be adopted by the NHS and other trusted healthcare providers.

Stopping Wegovy or Mounjaro: how SemaPen supports you

Weight regain after taking GLP-1 medications is common. According to one study, Wegovy patients typically regain around two-thirds of the weight they've lost after stopping treatment.

At SemaPen, we know that weight loss is only the first step on a lifelong journey. Most patients require long-term support to successfully prevent weight regain and continue to reap the benefits of their weight loss.

That's why we've built post-treatment weight management support into our weight loss plans from the very start. That includes tailored advice from our team of qualified dietitians.

NICE's new guidelines represent a welcome step towards better clinical standards and patient outcomes. But they're also welcome because they confirm that our approach is one step ahead of the status quo. At SemaPen, business as usual means paving the way to better care.

As NICE's Dr Rebecca Payne puts it, 'Weight management is a long-term journey, not a short-term fix.'

We couldn't agree more.

Are you looking for effective weight loss medication – plus the tailored support you need to make your results stick? Crafted by some of the UK's leading obesity experts, SemaPen's weight loss programmes are designed to help you build healthy habits that last a lifetime. To find out if you're eligible today, take our simple online consultation.

Sources

1. Office for Health Improvement & Disparities (2025) Obesity profile: short statistical commentary, May 2025. GOV.UK. Retrieved from https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/obesity-profile-may-2025-update/obesity-profile-short-statistical-commentary-may-2025

2. Nicholas Feenie (2024) Mounjaro gains momentum in the UK's private obesity treatment market, outpacing Wegovy. December 2024. The College of Contemporary Health. Retrieved from

https://www.contemporaryhealth.co.uk/medication/mounjaro-gains-momentum-in-the-uks-private-obesity-treatment-market-outpacing-wegovy/

3. NICE (2025) People need support to keep weight off after treatment ends. August 2025. NICE.org.uk. Retrieved from https://www.nice.org.uk/news/articles/people-need-support-to-keep-weight-off-after-treatment-ends

4. Wilding, J.P.H. et al. (2022) "Weight regain and cardiometabolic effects after withdrawal of semaglutide: The STEP 1 trial extension" Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 24(8) https://doi.org/10.1111/dom.14725

This article was reviewed and approved by Alice Fletcher, Lead Bariatric Dietitian, on 12 August 2025.