A landmark real-world study involving 3,000–5,000 participants across Scotland has been announced to tackle obesity, backed by £650,000 of UK Government funding.
Launched this weekend, the Scotland CardioMetabolic Impact Study (SCoMIS) exemplifies the UK’s prevention-first approach to obesity, combining innovation, inclusion, and health data excellence.
Led by IQVIA, in partnership with the Universities of Glasgow, Dundee, and Edinburgh, and global healthcare company Novo Nordisk, SCoMIS will focus on some of Scotland’s most economically deprived communities to ensure equitable access to innovation.
A National Effort to Tackle Obesity
Supported by initial UK Government investment, SCoMIS will evaluate how incretin-based weight-loss medicines (GLP-1s) can be safely, effectively, and equitably delivered in routine NHS settings such as GP surgeries and community pharmacies. Beyond clinical outcomes, the study will assess impacts on and patients’ quality of life, health inequalities, NHS healthcare resource utilisation, capacity and economic productivity.
Professor of CardioMetabolic Health at the University of Glasgow and Principal Investigator for SCoMIS, Professor Jason Gill described the project as “a landmark real world study evaluating a new model of obesity care, providing incretin treatment via primary and community care to adults living with obesity, particularly those in the most economically deprived communities.”
Reflecting the ambitions of the UK Government’s Life Sciences Sector Plan, the project brings together public and private expertise. Science Minister, Lord Vallance commented, “Scotland is home to a vibrant life sciences community, fuelled by strong public and private sector partnerships and supported by top-tier universities and the NHS. New ways of tackling obesity offer the chance to give people their health and wellbeing back – in some cases, offering a route back to the dignity of work.”
Three Shifts in the UK’s Obesity Approach
SCoMIS underlines the UK’s broader shift in tackling obesity through innovation and evidence:
- From sickness to prevention – Obesity must be addressed as part of the wider cardiovascular, renal, and metabolic (CVRM) prevention agenda, embedding a prevention-led NHS that drives both health and economic growth.
- From analogue to digital – The greatest and most sustainable weight loss occurs when medicines are combined with continuous digital behavioural support.
- From cost containment to economic growth – Providing access to proven obesity treatments and digital support will reduce long-term sickness, NHS utilisation, and welfare dependency, while improving productivity and fiscal resilience.
UK Health Innovation Minister, Dr Zubir Ahmed, said, “As a practicing NHS surgeon and Glasgow MP, I know firsthand the impact of the obesity crisis that plagues Scotland – and the litany of health problems it leads to. The UK Government is determined to move the dial on obesity and move our country on from sickness to prevention.
More than 1 in 3 adults in Scotland’s most deprived areas are living with obesity. The UK Government is committed to tackling inequality wherever it finds it in our country. It’s why this landmark UK Government investment is targeting help where it’s needed most in Scotland and meeting people where they are and backing helping the NHS services they trust to treat them.
The UK Government sponsorship of this landmark Scottish SCoMIS study is a live example that our Life Sciences Sector Plan is working in every part of our country – backing British innovation, Scottish jobs and positioning the UK as a global leader in health research.”
Harnessing the Power of UK Health Data
Scotland’s unique Community Health Index (CHI) number provides lifelong, linkable health records that, when combined with IQVIA’s real world evidence capabilities, create one of Europe’s richest anonymised datasets. This infrastructure enables policymakers to identify communities that stand to benefit most, monitor outcomes in real time, and adapt commissioning based on live evidence.
OPIP: Replacing a Broken System
The current tiered obesity-care model has failed people living with obesity, with inconsistent access and slow referral routes. The Obesity Pathway Improvement Programme (OPIP) proposes a single, integrated pathway that embeds obesity management into chronic disease care, supported by digital providers and tracked through linked data to ensure equity and accountability.
A National Opportunity for Growth and Health
If fully realised, this integrated model could transform lives and strengthen the economy within the course of this Parliament – reducing type 2 diabetes, improving wellbeing, shortening NHS waiting lists, lowering absenteeism, and supporting healthier, more equitable communities.
As IQVIA’s SVP and General Manager for Northern Europe, Tim Sheppard notes, “SCoMIS aims to build capacity in primary care and improve outcomes for patients, whilst driving economic growth.”
With clear ministerial support and partnership across the public, private, and academic sectors, SCoMIS demonstrates how the UK can lead globally in obesity innovation – turning scientific progress into lasting health and prosperity for all.
