Liraglutide (also called Saxenda) is a weight loss medicine that works by making you feel fuller and less hungry. It's taken as an injection once a day.

Saxenda has been approved under the drugs payment scheme in Ireland but under very strict conditions:

Age 18 - 74 years

BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2 

Confirmation of: 

o participation in non-pharmacological interventions which includes a reduced-calorie diet

and increased physical activity e.g. HSE Diabetes Prevention Programme*

o diagnosis of prediabetes - fasting plasma glucose level between 5.5 - 6.9 mmol/L and

HbA1c level between 42 - 47 mmol/mol

o high risk of CVD - total fasting cholesterol level > 5 mmol/L, or mean systolic blood

pressure (BP) > 140 mmHg, despite pharmacological treatment

This petition is about making the drug available to more people with a bmi over 30 before they suffer side effects like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.

The drug is currently available privately to those with a bmi of over 30 but with a price of circa €240 per month this means many people who could benefit from it cannot afford it.