The new year opens with NHS England publishing an ICB readiness assessment for the tirzepatide rollout, Novo Nordisk confirming its EMA submission for CagriSema, and NICE commissioning a new evidence review on obesity and mental health.

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NHS Tirzepatide Rollout — ICB Readiness Assessment

NHS England has published the results of its ICB readiness assessment for the tirzepatide obesity prescribing rollout, due to begin 1 February 2026.

Key findings:

• 38 of 42 ICBs in England have confirmed commissioning plans in place
• 4 ICBs have requested a 3-month implementation extension, citing capacity constraints
• Approximately 2,400 GPs have completed the Level 2 prescribing competency as of 7 January 2026
• NHS England estimates 12,000 GPs will need to complete the competency to meet projected demand

Prescribing volumes: NHS England projects 45,000 new tirzepatide prescriptions for obesity in the first 3 months of availability, rising to approximately 180,000 in the first year.

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CagriSema — EMA Marketing Authorisation Application Confirmed

Novo Nordisk has confirmed the submission of a Marketing Authorisation Application (MAA) to the European Medicines Agency for CagriSema for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or overweight with comorbidities.

The submission is based on the REDEFINE Phase 3 programme, including the full REDEFINE-1 dataset (25.1% weight loss at 68 weeks).

Regulatory timeline:

• EMA opinion expected: Q1–Q2 2027
• MHRA submission: simultaneous with EMA
• NICE appraisal: expected to begin Q3 2027

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NICE — New Evidence Review: Obesity and Mental Health

NICE has commissioned a new evidence review examining the bidirectional relationship between obesity and mental health conditions. The review will cover:

• Prevalence of depression, anxiety, and eating disorders in people with obesity
• Impact of mental health conditions on obesity treatment outcomes
• Safety of GLP-1 receptor agonists in patients with mental health conditions
• Screening and monitoring recommendations for mental health in obesity management

The review is expected to report in Q3 2026 and will inform updates to NICE obesity management guidelines.

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Research Digest

Tirzepatide and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: A post-hoc analysis of SURMOUNT-1 data published in Hepatology showed that tirzepatide 15 mg produced a 72% reduction in liver fat content at 72 weeks, with 81% of participants with NAFLD at baseline achieving NAFLD resolution.

Obesity and kidney disease: A UK Biobank analysis published in JASN demonstrated that obesity is associated with a 2.1-fold increased risk of CKD progression, and that weight loss of ≥10% attenuates this risk by 38%.

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This update is prepared for UK healthcare professionals. All prescribing decisions should reference current NICE guidance, the BNF, and individual patient clinical assessment.