New injectable drugs could help millions of people shed weight and get back to work and off benefits, the UK's Health Secretary has said.
On Wednesday, the UK announced it had approved a £40 million two-year pilot programme to explore how drugs, such as Novo Nordisk's Wegovy, can be given to obese patients outside of specialist services in hospitals.
It follows a move by the country's drug cost-effectiveness watchdog NICE to make the weekly shot available to adults with at least one weight-related condition and a body mass index of 35, but only within the NHS specialist weight management scheme.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the new scheme will reduce pressure on hospitals.
He said it will allow “people to live healthier and longer lives” and deliver on his “priority to cut NHS waiting lists”.
Asked on BBC Radio 4's Today programme whether the government aims to help millions lose weight and get people back to work and off benefits, Health Secretary Steve Barclay said: “Yes, we think this can be hugely significant.
“We know that obesity has very severe health consequences … the impact of obesity is very, very significant on the nation's health.
“We also know that many people will have tried to lose weight, will have struggled to do so or, indeed, if they have lost weight, will have struggled to keep that weight off, so it's right that we look at a range of innovations.”
Mr Barclay said the “purpose of the pilot is to inform what its potential scope is and what its wider benefits may be”.
He added: “You're right to signal there could be potential economic benefits because economic inactivity, mental health challenge, MSK (musculoskeletal conditions), various health challenges linked to obesity obviously have an impact in terms of the labour market, in terms of staff absence.
“But that's not the criteria on which this pilot is being set; it has been set on health criteria, and that's what we're focused on.
“From that pilot, the chief medical officer, working with the chief economist in the Treasury, will be looking at what wider benefits there may be, because there could be significant benefits economically."
In the UK, around one in every four adults are obese, according to the NHS.
Obesity is associated with many health conditions, including heart disease, Type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer.
The NHS says the best way to treat obesity is to eat a healthy reduced-calorie diet and exercise regularly.
Mr Barclay said the drugs may become available via the pilot scheme “later this year”, telling GB News: “It is part of a signal to suppliers that this is something the NHS is going to lead on.
“The funding is in place, we've been having those discussions with manufacturers.
“It is a very exciting development but it is one alongside a range of other measures that we're taking.”
Mr Barclay said there was now an “acceptance we need to use all the tools available” in tackling obesity.
He told Times Radio: “I think there's a recognition that obesity really causes health harm. Nine in 10 Type 2 diabetics are overweight, and the second biggest cause of cancer after smoking is obesity. Around a million people are admitted to hospital a year as a consequence of obesity."
Mr Barclay said the obesity drugs were “potential game changers” but they were not being given “in isolation” and would be offered alongside lifestyle and healthy eating advice.
Asked about remarks by the Duke of Sussex that the British Government has hit “rock bottom”, Health Secretary Steve Barclay told Nick Ferrari's show on LBC radio: “If you look at what we're announcing today, I think a really exciting innovation.
“What we're announcing today is that the NHS will be at the front of the queue with the very latest medicine that we're piloting to tackle obesity.
"That brings huge health benefits, and that's what we're focused on as a government: How can we innovate? How can we make sure the NHS is getting the latest drugs and tackling the big challenges, such as obesity.”
He added: “So that's what I'm focused on. How do we cut the waiting times? How do we innovate with drugs to tackle the big health challenges like obesity, and make sure that the NHS is world-leading in getting that innovative medicine to patients?
"Because there's a big health benefit if we can tackle obesity, and that's really how I'd respond to that.”
How to improve Arabic reading in early years
One 45-minute class per week in Standard Arabic is not sufficient
The goal should be for grade 1 and 2 students to become fluent readers
Subjects like technology, social studies, science can be taught in later grades
Grade 1 curricula should include oral instruction in Standard Arabic
First graders must regularly practice individual letters and combinations
Time should be slotted in class to read longer passages in early grades
Improve the appearance of textbooks
Revision of curriculum should be undertaken as per research findings
Conjugations of most common verb forms should be taught
Systematic learning of Standard Arabic grammar
Breast cancer in men: the facts
1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.
2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash.
3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible.
4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key.
5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Alan%20Wake%20Remastered%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERemedy%20Entertainment%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Microsoft%20Game%20Studios%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsoles%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PlayStation%204%20%26amp%3B%205%2C%20Xbox%3A%20360%20%26amp%3B%20One%20%26amp%3B%20Series%20X%2FS%20and%20Nintendo%20Switch%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
