Mounjaro weight loss drug price to surge by 170% for Brits - except for ONE customer
Eli Lilly is set to significantly hike the UK price of its weight-loss and diabetes medication Mounjaro, with some dosages expected to see a staggering 170 percent increase starting from September.
The pharmaceutical giant has justified the price surge as an effort to "address pricing inconsistencies compared with other developed countries, including in Europe" and to ensure equitable global contributions towards funding medical research.
The sharpest rise will affect the month's supply of the drug's highest doses, which will soar from £122 to £330. Smaller doses will experience increases ranging from 45 to 138 percent. It comes after a man, 30, puts shoulder pain down to gym aches, then doctors ask where he'd like to die.
Despite these changes, Lilly has assured that the NHS will not be affected by the new list prices, pledging to maintain the current rates to preserve uninterrupted patient access.
Private healthcare providers, who also offer the medication, will face the new prices but have the option to negotiate confidential discounts directly with Eli Lilly.
This development occurs amidst political debates in the US, where ex-president Donald Trump has lambasted what he deems "foreign freeloaders" for enjoying lower pharmaceutical costs while Americans bear much higher expenses. In one address, he highlighted obesity treatments, recounting how a friend in London acquired the "fat shot drug" at a fraction of the US cost, reports the Daily Record.
Research from the Rand Corporation indicates that drug prices in the US are typically almost triple those in several other advanced nations.
The pharmaceutical sector has been mobilising to combat the potential danger of a "most favoured nation" strategy, which could tie American pricing to international rates.
Lilly highlighted that the UK was amongst the earliest markets to receive Mounjaro and emphasised that its initial focus had been on delivering the medication to diabetic patients swiftly.
"At launch, Lilly agreed to a UK list price that is significantly below the European average to prevent delays in NHS availability.With changes in the environment and new clinical evidence supporting the value of Mounjaro, we are now aligning the list price more consistently to ensure fair global contributions to the cost of innovation," the firm stated.
Talks between pharmaceutical companies and the UK Government regarding NHS drug costs have grown increasingly fraught, with deliberations about modifications to a clawback levy on pharmaceutical sales extending well beyond agreed timelines.
The Government's latest proposals featured plans to increase spending on medications, though industry chiefs voiced exasperation over the absence of specifics or clarity regarding whether this would involve purchasing additional medicines or paying elevated prices for current treatments.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has endorsed Mounjaro for as many as 3.4 million individuals across England.
Nevertheless, worries about cost-effectiveness resulted in an arrangement for a staged introduction, beginning with approximately 250,000 patients presenting the most urgent clinical requirements during the initial three years. NHS England has assured that the forthcoming price alterations will not impact the provision of the medication to qualified patients suffering from obesity or diabetes.
"Mounjaro is a cost-effective and valuable tool to support people to reach a healthier weight and the wider health and lifestyle benefits that offers," NHS England stated.
The adjustments bring the UK's pricing more in line with the European mean, occurring amidst a period when drug manufacturers are acutely aware of how varying international prices might influence upcoming policy choices in the US.
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Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A WOMAN who's lost almost five stone on Mounjaro has admitted she's willing to get herself into debt to stay on it amid the upcoming price hike. The fat jab community was left panicked when GLP-1 supplier Eli Lilly announced they will be increasing their prices by up to 170% from 1st September. 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How to get free debt help There are several groups which can help you with your problem debts for free. Citizens Advice - 0800 144 8848 (England) / 0800 702 2020 (Wales) - 0800 144 8848 (England) / 0800 702 2020 (Wales) StepChange - 0800138 1111 - 0800138 1111 National Debtline - 0808 808 4000 - 0808 808 4000 Debt Advice Foundation - 0800 043 4050 You can also find information about Debt Management Plans (DMP) and Individual Voluntary Agreements (IVA) by visiting or Speak to one of these organisations - don't be tempted to use a claims management firm. They say they can write off lots of your debt in return for a large upfront fee. But there are other options where you don't need to pay. "Especially after how I felt being off the drug for 8 weeks - gaining weight and having uncontrollable hunger. 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A WOMAN who's lost almost five stone on Mounjaro has admitted she's willing to get herself into debt to stay on it amid the upcoming price hike. The fat jab community was left panicked when GLP-1 supplier Eli Lilly announced they will be increasing their prices by up to 170% from 1st September. 6 6 6 6 So the price of a 12.5mg Mounjaro pen is likely to go from £139 to a whopping £236 - leaving users terrified they'll be forced to come off the "miracle" drug. One person who went into an "instant panic" after hearing news of the upcoming price hike is 34-year-old Chloe-Lou, who has lost 4st 11lbs in 14 months on the jabs and has been documenting her journey on TikTok. To date, she hasn't struggled to afford the pens, as she's spending what she previously shelled out on junk food to be able to buy the Mounjaro. But come September, she and millions of other users will have to take a hard look at their financial situation to work out if they can afford to stay on the pens. "When I heard about the price hikes I felt totally deflated," nail tech and mum Chloe-Lou, from Woolston, Southampton, told Fabulous Online. "I know things rise in cost all the time but hearing the price is set to rise by 170% put me in an instant panic." The situation is made doubly scary for Chloe-Lou, as she's previously tried "all sorts" of diets to lose weight, but hasn't been successful until Mounjaro because of her PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). She's also panicking because she has tried coming off Mounjaro before - and ended up gaining 8lbs in two months when she did so. Luckily, her husband has said he'll cover the extra cost so that she can stay on the shots. But Chloe-Lou admitted she would even consider putting herself into debt by using credit cards or payment plans like Klarna to afford Mounjaro if she had to. I've lost 3.5st on Mounjaro in 6 months but its ruined so much "I wouldn't want to rely on credit to continue but if it was my only option I think I'd have to consider using my credit card or the likes of Klarna," she said. Mounjaro users have taken to social media in their thousands to share their fears over the price hike. And countless people have admitted they'll even consider "microdosing" - taking smaller doses of the pen to make it last longer. However, as the jabs have an expiry of 30 days once they're used, doing so means users are putting themselves at risk by changing their dosage. There are also people looking into getting the jabs on the black market - something Chloe-Lou also did before she started with a legit Mounjaro supplier. "Before using Mounjaro I bought semaglutide off of the black market," she said, referring to the other GLP-1 drug, most often sold under the name Wegovy. WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR WEIGHT LOSS JABS ON THE NHS? NHS eligibility for weight loss injections has expanded but still lags behind the number who could potentially benefit from taking them. Wegovy, medical name semaglutide, is only available for weight loss through specialist weight management clinics. Patients are typically expected to have tried other weight loss methods before getting a prescription. They may be eligible if their body mass index (BMI) is higher than 30, or higher than 27 if they have a weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure. Mounjaro, known as tirzepatide, is also available from GP practices but currently only to patients with a BMI of 40 or higher (or 37.5 if from a minority ethnic background) plus four weight-related health conditions. The medicines are currently being rationed to the patients most in need. NHS watchdog NICE estimates that more than three million Brits will ultimately be eligible. The GLP-1 injections are prescribed separately by GPs for people with type 2 diabetes, and patients should discuss this with their doctor. "It made me poorly, and it made my asthma symptoms 10 times worse." But Chloe-Lou admitted even her friends are considering buying on the black market so they can afford the jabs. And she fears struggling to afford the jabs will mean a huge impact on people's mental health. "I'm so worried that after working wonders reversing my PCOS and giving me a new lease of life that people who have no choice but to end their treatment will become depressed," she sighed. How to get free debt help There are several groups which can help you with your problem debts for free. Citizens Advice - 0800 144 8848 (England) / 0800 702 2020 (Wales) StepChange - 0800138 1111 National Debtline - 0808 808 4000 Debt Advice Foundation - 0800 043 4050 You can also find information about Debt Management Plans (DMP) and Individual Voluntary Agreements (IVA) by visiting or Speak to one of these organisations - don't be tempted to use a claims management firm. They say they can write off lots of your debt in return for a large upfront fee. But there are other options where you don't need to pay. "Especially after how I felt being off the drug for 8 weeks - gaining weight and having uncontrollable hunger. "I can see it having a huge impact on people's mental health, especially if they start to regain weight." 6 6
