New Zealand approves risky weight-loss drug Wegovy despite alarming health risks abroad

• New Zealand approves controversial weight loss drug Wegovy despite severe side effects like pancreatitis, kidney disease, and blindness.
• Officials are ignoring global warnings and prioritizing corporate interests over public safety.
• Fast-tracked drug approvals may strip safeguards under the Gene Technology Bill.
• Studies show Wegovy doubles pancreatitis risk and increases vision loss cases.
• Experts call for holistic health solutions instead of risky pharmaceuticals.

In a move that has drawn sharp criticism from health experts, New Zealand’s government has approved the weight-loss drug Wegovy despite mounting evidence linking it to severe side effects, including pancreatitis, kidney disease, and even blindness. Associate Health Minister David Seymour has enthusiastically branded the drug a “game changer,” ignoring warnings from international studies and rising hospitalizations overseas. The decision raises serious questions about whether corporate interests are trumping public safety in New Zealand’s healthcare policies.

A dangerous trend in medical oversight

The approval comes as the government pushes the controversial Gene Technology Bill, which would fast-track the approval of drugs cleared in just two overseas jurisdictions. Critics warn this will strip away vital safeguards, leaving New Zealanders vulnerable to poorly tested medications. Meanwhile, obesity rates — fueled by processed foods and poor dietary habits — continue to climb. Instead of addressing root causes through nutrition, exercise, and traditional health practices, officials are betting on risky pharmaceutical solutions that could do more harm than good.

New Zealand’s approval of Wegovy flies in the face of alarming research. A 2025 Washington University study published in Nature Medicine examined 215,000 users of weight-loss injectables like Wegovy, Ozempic, and Mounjaro. The findings were damning: patients faced double the risk of pancreatitis, an 11% higher likelihood of arthritis, and increased threats of kidney disease and dangerously low blood pressure.

Worse yet, a JAMA Ophthalmology study linked these drugs to vision loss and blindness, with patients reporting irreversible damage. In the UK, hospitalizations tied to weight-loss drug complications surged by 46% in just one month, per the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Yet, when questioned by the NZ Herald, David Seymour dismissed these concerns, calling Wegovy’s approval “very exciting” and claiming it will “save our health system money” by preventing hospital visits—a claim directly contradicted by real-world data.

The Gene Technology Bill: A corporate handout disguised as reform

Seymour’s push for automatic drug approvals under the Gene Technology Bill only deepens the recklessness. If passed, medications cleared in just two overseas markets would bypass rigorous local scrutiny — effectively outsourcing New Zealand’s safety standards to foreign regulators with possible conflicts of interest.

The bill also fails to regulate genetically modified foods, leaving consumers in the dark about what they eat despite studies linking industrial food production to rising obesity since 2000.

The real solutions being ignored

While Seymour touts Wegovy as a miracle fix, experts argue that obesity requires holistic solutions, not just chemical interventions. Processed foods, sedentary lifestyles, and corporate agriculture policies have created a public health crisis, yet the government refuses to tackle these issues head-on.

Natural approaches such as better nutrition, exercise, and community-based wellness programs are being sidelined in favor of Big Pharma’s latest profit driver.

New Zealanders deserve a healthcare system that prioritizes safety, transparency, and real solutions — not reckless deregulation and unchecked corporate influence. The approval of Wegovy and the looming Gene Technology Bill represent a dangerous shift toward profit-driven policymaking, with little regard for long-term consequences.

Instead of gambling with citizens’ health, the government should invest in preventative care, clean eating initiatives, and policies that empower its people rather than endangering them. Until then, Seymour’s so-called “game changer” may prove to be just another losing bet for New Zealand.

Sources for this article include:

Expose-News.com

SciTechDaily.com

NZHerald.co.nz