Critics fear conflict of interest as Novo Nordisk helps medics ‘reduce unnecessary barriers’ to treatment for obesity
NHS England is understood to have been aware of Batterham’s link to Novo when it appointed her to the group, which was set up to advise on the allocation of resources, post-Covid recovery and the possible expansion of specialist weight-loss services. It said the group had not yet provided any formal advice due to delays receiving funding, and had not formally requested declarations of interest.
and had always been transparent about her affiliations, including disclosing her conflicts of interest to NHS England. She added that her “globally recognised research” had focused on “all aspects of weight-management” and that she worked with the NHS and companies “to help improve and grow our collective clinical understanding”.
But critics say the arrangements could give Novo Nordisk a role in shaping services that use its weight-loss drugs, raising questions about conflicts of interest. A document about its partnership with the National Pharmacy Association is explicit about the potential benefits, saying in a section titled “benefit to Novo Nordisk” that “an increase in the availability of weight-management services may result in an increase in the prescribing of anti-obesity medications”.