The once-weekly injectable medication Wegovy (semaglutide), indicated for chronic weight management and cardiovascular risk reduction, is now available in New Zealand on prescription. 

The 2.4mg semaglutide dose mimics a natural gut hormone (GLP-1) which targets areas of the brain involved in appetite regulation. It is administered through a once-weekly FlexTouch pen, said manufacturer Novo Nordisk.  

Links between semaglutide weight-loss drugs and ophthalmic complications are becoming more defined as these drugs are now in widespread use, with one study finding patients on semaglutide, especially those who were diabetic or obese, had an increased risk of developing nonarteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION).