Wegovy and Mounjaro for weight loss not funded
Medsafe has approved two new medicines as suitable to support weight management. Pharmac's role is to decide whether medicines will be publicly funded.
Wegovy on Pharmac's options for investment list
Pharmac has assessed the application to fund Wegovy for weight loss and added it to our Options for Investment List.
The Obesity Treatment Advisory Group considered an application to fund semaglutide (Wegovy) in December 2025.
We used this advice to inform our assessment and understanding of the evidence about semaglutide (Wegovy).
More about the options for investment list
What did the clinical advisory group say?
The Obesity Treatment Advisory Group recommended that Pharmac fund semaglutide (Wegovy) for chronic weight management in people with a high Body Mass Index (BMI) and associated comorbidities with a high priority.
If Wegovy were funded, the Advisory Group said that funding rules would be needed. Any rules would help make sure the medicine is targeted to those who would benefit the most. If Wegovy were to be funded, Pharmac would use its Special Authority system, which requires a prescriber to apply for funding.
Full record of the Advisory Group's December meeting [PDF, 332 KB] Semaglutide (Wegovy) is discussed from page 7 onwards.
Pharmac's Advisory Groups membership and records
Consideration of tirzepatide (Mounjaro)
Pharmac has not received an application to fund tirzepatide (Mounjaro) for weight loss. We have received an application for insufficiently controlled type 2 diabetes. We are currently assessing the costs and benefits of funding tirzepatide for type 2 diabetes using our Factors for Consideration.
Tirzepatide application in the Application Tracker(external link)
We use the Factors for Consideration to understand the effect funding (or not funding) a medicine will have more broadly. We especially consider the impact for populations that have worse health outcomes.
When will Wegovy or Mounjaro be funded?
We cannot say when, or if, any medicine will be funded.
All applications to fund a medicine go through our standard processes.
Once clinical advice is received, Pharmac compares the benefit of funding any medicine against all the other medicines we have been asked to fund.
It is then down to when funding is available and the relative priority of any application.
About the prioritisation process
How much will Wegovy or Mounjaro cost me?
If a health care professional prescribes Wegovy or Mounjaro for you, you will need to pay for it.
Pharmac does not control this price. You would need to discuss with your pharmacy how much that might be.
Medicines funded to treat type 2 diabetes
Both dulaglutide (Trulicity) and liraglutide (Victoza) are funded for people with type 2 diabetes, who meet the funding criteria. These medicines are also GLP-1 agonists like semaglutide and tirzepatide.
If you have type 2 diabetes, talk to a health care professional whether one of these medicines might be right for you.
About the weight-loss treatments
Semaglutide and tirzepatide are the names of the active ingredients in the medicines. Wegovy and Mounjaro are the brand names. They are both a type of medicine called a GLP-1 agonist.
Neither of these products are publicly funded in New Zealand.
Medsafe's role
Medsafe's role is to make sure that medicines available in New Zealand meet standards of quality, safety, and effectiveness. Medsafe has approved Wegovy (semaglutide) and Mounjaro (tirzepatide) as treatments for weight loss in New Zealand.
You can search for data sheets and consumer medicine information sheets on Medsafe's website
Data sheets and consumer medicine information(external link)
Who to contact
Your health care team are in the best place to discuss whether any of these medicines are right for you.