New daily Wegovy pill on sale for as cheap as £60 a month from online pharmacies – as Asda reports that thousands have already ordered first-of-its-kind drug

The race to win customers for the new Wegovy pill is heating up; Britons are rushing to get their hands on the first oral version of the blockbuster GLP-1 weight loss drug.

Some healthcare providers are offering the first month’s treatment for as little as £60 as they battle for market share following the drug’s long-awaited launch in the UK.

Pharmacy bosses say they are seeing ‘unprecedented’ demand for tablets that can help patients lose around 17 per cent of their body weight in 64 weeks.

Adults with a body mass index over 30, who are classified as obese, are also among those eligible for the drug. It may also be prescribed to people with a BMI between 27 and 30 if they have a weight-related health condition.

Although the pill was approved by health regulators last month, it is not yet available on the NHS. It is currently only available through private providers; most of these began distributing the drug on Monday, following its official launch in the UK.

Since its launch, demand has increased and thousands of people are eager to get a prescription as soon as possible. ASDA’s pharmacy has already received more than 7,000 orders.

Around 2.5 million people currently use weight loss injections, but the emergence of a once-daily tablet that eliminates the need for weekly injections is generating huge interest.

To capitalize on the demand, many providers have launched heavily discounted introductory offers. This includes MedExpress, which sells the lowest pill dose of 1.5mg for the first month at £59.99.

MedExpress also charges just £79 for a month’s supply of 4mg ‘phased dose’.

After the offer ends their standard price will be £110 for the 1.5mg dose, £119 for 4mg, £159 for 9mg and £199 for the highest 25mg dose.

Close behind is Numan, which sells the pill at £66 for the first month to customers who sign up to a 12-month treatment plan.

Numan also offers a three-month commitment plan for £69.52 for the first month.

Those who prefer the flexibility of a monthly subscription, which can be canceled at any time, will receive a £50 discount for the first month before moving on to Numan’s standard prices of £159 for a 1.5mg dose, £159 for 4mg, £199 for 9mg and £249 for the highest 25mg dose.

Women’s healthcare provider SheMed offers a 1.5mg dose for the first month at £69, after which the monthly price rises to £154. The 4mg dose costs £179 per month, rising to £219 for 9mg and £269 for the highest 25mg dose.

Medical professionals will start patients on a 1.5 mg dose and increase it every 30 days until they reach a maximum dose of 25 mg, according to manufacturer Novo Nordisk.

The gradual increase is designed to help the body adapt to the medication and reduce side effects.

Patients currently receiving 0.5 mg or 1 mg Wegovy injections can switch to 9 mg tablets, while those using 1.7 mg, 2.4 mg or 7.2 mg injections can switch to 25 mg tablets if medically approved.

Anyone switching from injections will need to wait a week after the last shot before starting tablets.

On average, the lowest dose of 0.25 mg, a once-weekly injection, costs between £80 and £140 per month in the UK.

Online healthcare providers offer some of the cheapest promotional deals for the pill.

Others include Pharmacy2U’s promo code, which allows patients to access a 1.5mg dose from £69.99 before returning to the standard price of £109.99. The 4mg dose costs £119.99.

Second Nature offers the 1.5mg dose initially for £74, before prices later rise to £124 per month.

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The 4mg dose starts at £104 and goes up to £154, while the 9mg dose starts at £144 and goes up to £194. The highest 25mg dose starts at £194 before rising to £244 per month.

Voy is also offering a 1.5mg dose for the first month for £74, before going up to its standard price of £154. A 4mg dose costs £179, rising to £219 for 9mg and £269 for the highest 25mg dose.

Patients seeking weight loss support through private doctors and online pharmacies are expected to receive their first batch soon after pre-ordering the drug after it was given the green light by regulators.

Those who meet the criteria can now start requesting it from pharmacies and online healthcare providers.

High street pharmacies are trying to capitalize on demand, with Boots Online Doctor offering the 1.5mg dose to new customers for £79 before reverting to its standard price of £99.

A 4mg dose costs £119, rising to £149 for 9mg and £229 for the highest 25mg dose.

From 12 July, the pill will also be available through Boots’ in-store weight loss service, which is currently available in 62 pharmacies across the UK and is available in a further 25 pharmacies due to launch.

Meanwhile, Superdrug Online Doctor is offering the 1.5mg dose to new customers for £79, before increasing it to £99.

The 4mg dose is initially priced at £119, or £99 for new customers, while the 9mg and 25mg doses are priced at £169 and £229 respectively, with both new arrivals given a £20 discount.

Supermarkets are also struggling to win customers through their pharmacy services.

Tesco Pharmacy offers the lowest standard prices among major supermarkets; It charges £90 for a 1.5mg dose, rising to £155 for the highest 25mg dose.

Morrisons Clinic underlines this with a starting offer of £89 for the first month’s 1.5mg dose, after which the price rises to £119.

Meanwhile, Asda Online Doctor charges £98.97 for a 1.5mg starting dose; prices rise to £118.97 for 4mg, £128.97 for 9mg and £188.97 for the highest 25mg dose.

Online provider Juniper is offering an initial discount of £60, reducing the 1.5mg dose to £94 and the 4mg dose to £119.

Prices without discount are £154 and £179 respectively. Costs of higher strength aspects have not yet been confirmed.

The pill appears to be slightly less effective than injections, which have been shown to trigger weight loss of up to 20.7 percent.

The tablet contains semaglutide, the same active ingredient as the injection, which mimics a hormone released in the intestines after eating.

This helps reduce hunger and allows patients to feel full for longer.