Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of surgery and GLP-1 medication as treatments for Lipoedema.

The Department has not made any assessment of the potential role of GLP-1 medications in reducing inflammation and pain associated with lipoedema. Newly licensed medicines are appraised by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which is the independent body responsible for developing evidence-based guidance for the National Health Service on which new medicines represent a clinically and cost-effective use of resources. NICE only makes recommendations on medicines within their licensed indications, and there is no GLP1 inhibitor with a United Kingdom marketing authorisation for use in the treatment of lipoedema. If a manufacturer applies for a UK marketing authorisation it may then be considered for evaluation by NICE.

In the absence of NICE guidance, clinicians are able to prescribe a medicine if they consider it appropriate for their patients, subject to funding being available. NHS commissioners are expected to make funding decisions based on an assessment of the available evidence.

NICE HealthTech guidance recommends that liposuction, a surgical procedure, for chronic lipoedema should only be used in research, as evidence on its safety and efficacy is inadequate. NICE will review the guidance when results from the LIPLEG trial in Germany are published.