Weight Loss Injection
Weight Loss Injection
Find a long-term solution. Not a quick fix.
We provide a weight loss service with the prescription medicine Saxenda (liraglutide injection). The service is provided by an introductory face-to-face consultation and subsequent face-to-face and/or telephone follow-ups. A specialist pharmacist prescriber specifically trained to provide this service will guide you the whole way.
This enables you to use Saxenda safely and effectively at home, along with obtaining physical and electronic support materials, sharpsbin, needles, and repeat prescriptions at no extra charge.
Saxenda box of 5 Pens: £250 (£50 per pen): Contains 90mg = 30-day supply at 3mg per day
We will also offer the already approved Wegovy (semaglutide injection) as soon as stock becomes available. Email us if interested and we shall let you know when Wegovy is supplied in the UK.
20/10/2023 – Currently, due to stock shortages, we cannot start anyone on these treatments.
To book an appointment please call: 020 7435 7075
What is Saxenda?
Saxenda is used for weight loss in addition to diet and exercise in adults aged 18 and above who have:
- BMI of 30 kg/m² or greater (obese) or
- BMI or 27 kg/m² and less than 30kg/m² (overweight) and weight related health problems (such as diabetes, high blood pressure, abnormal levels of fats in the blood or breathing problems during sleep called ‘obstructive sleep apnoea’)
Saxenda is also approved for use in adolescent, however, currently we only offer Saxenda to those 18 to 75 years of age.
People who do not meet the above eligibility criteria should not be prescribed Saxenda.
Saxenda is approved in the UK and recommended to be used in the NHS. The use in the NHS is restricted to specialist centres with stricter eligibility criteria than those set by the manufacturer/UK medicine regulator; see here the NHS criteria set by NICE.
It is self-injected under the skin once daily with an ultra-thin needle.
How does Saxenda work?
Saxenda is a weight loss prescription medicine that contains the active substance liraglutide. It is similar to a natural occurring hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) that is released from the intestine after a meal. Saxenda works by acting on receptors in the brain that control your appetite, causing you to feel fuller and less hungry.
Saxenda makes it easier to follow a calorie restricted diet because you will feel full quicker at mealtimes so you’ll eat less, and you won’t get as hungry between meals which will reduce the urge to snack. If you do not reduce their calorie intake, you are unlikely to lose weight.
How effective is Saxenda?
Saxenda was clinically tested and proven in a study of 3,731 patients in which 85% of people taking Saxenda lost some weight. In this study, 2,487 patients received Saxenda and 1,244 received placebo. Both groups also received a reduced calorie diet and physical activity counseling.
In this study:
- 63% of participants treated with Saxenda lost at least 5% of their starting weight, which compared with just 27% in the placebo group
- 33% of the Saxenda treated participants lost at least 10% of their starting weight, compared to 10% in the placebo group
- 14% of the Saxenda treated participants lost at least 15% of their starting weight, which compared with just 3.5% in the placebo group
Can I keep the weight off?
In a clinical study of people taking Saxenda for 3 years:
- 56% achieved significant weight loss at year 1, and
- Approximately half of these patients maintained weight loss at 3 years when taking Saxenda added to a reduced-calorie meal plan and increased physical activity, compared with people not on the drug
How can I tell if Saxenda is working?
You will know if Saxenda is working for you if you lose 5% of your body weight by your 4-month follow-up appointment.
Reaching and maintaining a healthy weight can help improve some diseases and conditions, and have a positive impact on your overall health. In fact, a 5% weight loss may help improve common conditions, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Is Saxenda right for me?
You can learn more about exclusions and special considerations related to the use of Saxenda by reviewing the Patient Information Leaflet under section 2.
In our clinic, the following inclusion criteria is applied:
- a BMI of 30 kg/m² or greater (obesity) or
- a BMI of 27 kg/m² and less than 30 kg/m² (overweight) and weight-related health problems (such as high blood pressure, abnormal levels of fats in the blood or breathing problems during sleep called ‘obstructive sleep apnoea’)
In our clinic, the following exclusion criteria is applied:
- Anybody under 18 years and over 75 years of age
- Pregnant or breast-feeding women
- A hypersensitivity to liraglutide or to any of the excipients listed in section 6 of the Patient Information Leaflet
- Concurrent administration with another GLP-1 receptor agonist, e.g. dulaglutide (Trulicity)
- People being treated with other weight management products
- People diagnosed with eating disorders
- Patients requiring specialist management, e.g. those with uncontrolled diabetes
- People with; Diabetic gastroparesis; Inflammatory bowel disease; Ketoacidosis; Congestive heart failure; Obesity secondary to endocrinological or eating disorders or to treatment with medicines that may cause weight gain; Severe renal impairment; Severe hepatic impairment; Pancreatitis; Known gall stones.
Full clinical history and observations will need to be considered, ultimately it will be a joint decision between you and our specialist pharmacist on whether Saxenda is appropriate for you.
What are the side effects of Saxenda?
As with all medications, Saxenda may cause side effects, although not everyone will experience them.
It is very common to experience gastrointestinal side-effects, such as nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting and constipation during the first 1-2 months of treatment. These side effects usually subside after a few days or weeks.
You can learn more about potential side effects of Saxenda by reviewing the Patient Information Leaflet and reading about common side effects below.
How do you take Saxenda?
Before you take Saxenda for the first time, our specialist pharmacist will show you how to use the Saxenda pen.
What is the dosing schedule?
The starting dosage is 0.6 mg per day for 1 week. You should increase the dose each week until the dose of 3 mg is reached, as prescribed.
Saxenda comes in a 3ml pre-filled injection pen. When you first start Saxenda, a single pen will last 17 days and the first full pack of five pens will last six weeks.
The Saxenda dosing schedule is designed to minimize any nausea you may experience. Nausea is a common side effect. As you progress to a higher dose, your body will adjust to the medication and the nausea will likely decrease.
Once you’re past the 4-week dose-escalation period and have achieved the maintenance dose, a 3ml pre-filled injection pen lasts 6 days and a pack of five pens lasts 30 days.
How do I store Saxenda?
