MedPal AI plc (AIM:MPAL) shares rose 25.2% to a three-month high around 3.88p after the digital health company said UK approval of the first oral GLP-1 treatment for weight loss could support demand for its newly launched weight management service, though
The company noted that the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has granted marketing authorisation to Novo Nordisk's oral semaglutide tablet for weight management.
MedPal said the approval had come sooner than the market expected and was particularly significant as it coincided with the national launch of its New Health weight management clinic.
he treatment is available on a prescription-only basis for eligible adults who are obese or overweight, but is not currently available on the NHS and remains subject to evaluation by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), meaning private provision is presently the only route to access.
The company pointed to strong demand in the US, where the same product launched in January.
According to Novo Nordisk, prescriptions exceeded three million within five months, with more than 80% issued to patients who had not previously used a GLP-1 treatment.
MedPal said an oral option could broaden the market by attracting patients reluctant to use injectable medicines.
It argued that the New Health model, which combines AI-supported patient triage, clinician prescribing and robotic dispensing, is positioned to respond to demand.
Jason Drummond, founder and chief executive, said: "This approval has arrived faster than the market expected, and the timing for New Health could hardly be better."
