What you need to know about weight loss jabs as price of Mounjaro jumps 170%
People in the UK paying privately for the weight-loss jab Mounjaro are set to face higher costs, after its manufacturer Eli Lilly has said it will raise the drug's list price by up to 170%.
The company says the increase will bring UK prices closer to those in other European countries, where the weekly injection is already sold for significantly more, according to the BBC.
The change reportedly won't affect the NHS, which pays a lower negotiated price, but most UK users buy it privately – often from pharmacies or online – so many could soon face higher costs.
Mounjaro works by helping people feel fuller for longer, so they eat less. It's been shown to help some users lose as much as 20% of their body weight.
Here's what you need to know.
Which is considered the 'best' weight loss jab?
Previous findings in The New England Journal of Medicine showed Mounjaro led to bigger drops in waist size, blood pressure and cholesterol than other weight loss jabs.
In a study of 750 adults with obesity, those on Mounjaro lost around 20% of their body weight over 72 weeks, compared to 14% of those taking Wegovy. The research was funded by the Mounjaro's manufacturer Eli Lilly,
Both medications suppress appetite by flipping an 'appetite switch' in the brain, making the patient feel fuller for longer.
However, Mounjaro targets two hunger-regulating hormones over Wegovy's one, which may explain its stronger effect.
Who is eligible for weight loss jabs on the NHS?
The two most popular weight-loss jabs are Mounjaro and Wegovy, and eligibility differs slightly for each:
Mounjaro (tirzepatide)
Mounjaro is approved for weight loss and weight management in adults aged 18 and over who meet the eligibility criteria. It works by regulating a person's appetite so they feel full, making them feel less hungry and experience fewer food cravings.
It is recommended that Mounjaro be used together with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.
You are eligible for Mounjaro if you meet the following criteria:
Have a BMI of at least 30
Have a BMI between 27 to 30, and weight-related problems such as prediabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart problems
Mounjaro is available as a pre-filled injection pen that is to be injected under the skin of your stomach area, thigh or upper arm. The starting dose is 2.5mg once a week for four weeks, increasing to 5mg once a week.
According to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the dose may then be increased in at least four-week intervals up to the maximum dose of 15mg per week.
Women using oral contraceptives may be advised to consider using a barrier method of contraception, such as a condom or switching to a non-oral contraceptive method for four weeks after starting Mounjaro. This is because Mounjaro may affect the efficacy of the contraceptive pill.
Wegovy (semaglutide)
Wegovy is the brand name for semaglutide which is licensed and approved for managing obesity. It differs from Ozempic, which is another brand name for semaglutide and is used for treating obesity as well as type 2 diabetes. Ozempic should not be prescribed solely for weight loss.
The NHS began offering Wegovy in September 2023 as an option for weight management in line with guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).
It is recommended that the medication be used in tandem with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.
You are eligible for Wegovy if you meet the following criteria:
Have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of at least 35
One weight-related comorbidity (such as hypertension or cardiovascular disease)
Have a BMI of 30 to 34.9, provided you meet the criteria for referral to specialist weight management services
The Department for Health and Social Care adds: "Wegovy is for those dealing with obesity and weight-related problems, not for people who just want to lose some weight."
Wegovy is taken via an injection once a week. Should you meet the eligibility criteria and are prescribed Wegovy, your healthcare team will give you more information about how to take it and how to inject it.
How much do weight loss jabs cost?
At present, the drugs can be bought privately from high street chemists and online pharmacies after an in-person or video consultation with a specialist.
A private prescription can currently cost upwards of £122-£150 a month, but from September, will increase to £330 a month, though the price hike for smaller doses could be less.
It's estimated more than half a million people are getting injections this way because of the long wait time for specialist NHS clinics.
The move comes as US president Donald Trump ramps up pressure on drugmakers to increase their prices for Europeans so Americans can more easily afford them, reports The Guardian.
Will a weight loss pill be cheaper?
A weight-loss pill is also in the works. A daily tablet called orforglipron, made by the same company as Mounjaro, has shown promising early trial results, helping people lose an average of 12.4% of their body weight over 72 weeks.
Eli Lilly plans to seek approval by the end of the year, and while the pill would likely be cheaper to produce than weekly jabs (it doesn't have a price point yet), the news of the Mounjaro price hike may raise questions about how affordable it will be if sold privately.
Do patients get a say in which weight-loss medication they're prescribed?
While patients can discuss options with their healthcare provider, the choice of drug such as Mounjaro or Wegovy and whether it's in pill or jab form, will typically be guided by clinical need, NICE guidelines, and NHS availability.
Eligibility is based on the factors above, such as BMI and weight-related health conditions. So even if pharmacy prescribing is rolled out more widely, treatment decisions will likely still be based on medical assessment rather than patient request, at least for now.
Earlier this year, online pharmacies were told they must conduct a proper two-way consultation with patients before prescribing weight loss jabs
The General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), which regulates pharmacies, said it was responding to concerns relating to the unsafe prescribing and supply of medicines like weight loss jabs online.
Read more about weight loss:
Who can get new weight-loss jab Mounjaro on the NHS? (Yahoo Life UK, 4-min read)
What to know about game-changing new weight-loss pill that could be prescribed on the NHS (Yahoo Life UK, 4-min read)
Obesity rates may start falling this year due to weight loss jabs, seller says (Sky News, 4-min read)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
'Romantic' sunflowers help to save newborn babies
In 2021, a farming couple planted a 6m-strip of sunflowers on their land to celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary. It was not open to the public initially but before too long, families emerging from the Covid lockdowns, keen to get back in touch with the outdoors, were asking for a closer look. Four years later, Crewe Green Sunflowers, at Park Farm near Crewe, Cheshire, grows almost a million flowers covering 10 acres, with hundreds of visitors picking or walking among them every summer for the few weeks it's open. Owner Alex said the idea was born from a "romantic" idea suggested by her husband Simon and it also marked 100 years of the family's farm. "It's really intense but the public reception is amazing," she said. "Everybody comes with smiles on their faces and leaves with smiles on their faces. "The only smiles that we don't have are from the children who are upset because they don't want to leave." A portion of the proceeds collected through donations and visitor charges go to the neonatal unit at nearby Leighton Hospital, with £25,000 raised so far. It is a cause close to Alex and Simon's hearts, following the traumatic births of their children Dexter and Penny. Dexter, 10, was diagnosed with suspected meningitis after he was born and was in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for eight days. He went through numerous lumbar punctures, a test involving a needle being inserted into the lower spine, and several courses of antibiotics, Alex said. "As a first-time parent, being in the NICU was absolutely harrowing but the nurses were incredible," she added. About three years later, Penny, now seven, was born 11 weeks early after Alex became ill with HELLP syndrome – hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelets. Penny weighed just above 2Ibs and she spent several months in the NICU until she was well enough to go home with her parents. "It [NICU] just became like a second home," Alex said. "A lot of the nurses we met with Dexter were still there, with Penny, and it was evident that funding with the NHS, as with anything, was really stretched." After Penny recovered, Simon signed up for the London Marathon the next year, marking the first bit of fundraising the family did for the unit. Alex said they never kept track of how much they raised and they were "amazed" when the hospital contacted them after reaching the £25,000 milestone. The money has been used to buy hospital equipment, including a £13,000 video laryngoscope, which helps with intubation procedures. Alex said she would be "forever grateful" to the hospital's staff for helping her children, adding: "They're like extended family now. "They work massive, long shifts and deal with emotional people, it is very difficult. They all go above and beyond." Read more Cheshire stories from the BBC and follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. More on this story 'Sea of sunflowers' thriving as weather changes Pick your own is the future, says sunflower farmer 'People come to petal field with outfit changes' 'Blooming hot' heatwave sees festival open earlier Related internet links Crewe Green Sunflowers Mid Cheshire Hospitals Charity
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
77-year-old dies during heart surgery after hospital loses power for 10 minutes: report
A 77-year-old British woman died during heart surgery when the hospital lost power for 10 minutes — and even the backup generator failed during the procedure. Jean Dye was undergoing a procedure for cardiac disease at Scunthorpe General Hospital in Scunthorpe, England, on Sept. 7, 2024, when the outage occurred in the middle of the surgery, the BBC reported this week, citing results from a newly released coroner's inquest. Scunthorpe General Hospital lost power during Jean Dye's heart surgery on Sept. 7, 2024. Google Maps Doctors were about to place cardiac stents in Dye's arteries when the loss of power left surgeons with 'limited opportunity to provide the necessary remedial treatment,' the inquest stated. The Emergency Power Off circuit was activated during the blackout, which overrode the back-up electrical supply, the report found. Surgeons were left in the dark as to the cause of the outage and were forced to wait for an engineer to reset the circuit during the critical operating juncture, according to the report. After 10 long minutes in the dark operating room, Dye died as a result of an 'iatrogenic dissection,' which is a tear involving an artery that occurs during a medical procedure, a coroner's report concluded. 'The delay whilst power was restored was a critical factor in this death,' the coroner said according to the BBC. No cause of the power outage has been identified, according to the report. 'Had staff been aware of the exact cause of the loss of power on this occasion and had they had the opportunity to rest the circuit without the need to await the arrival of an engineer, who in turn had to attend a separate plant room, the downtime would likely have been significantly reduced,' senior coroner Paul Smith said in comment to the outlet.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Seaside town's new hospital proposals unveiled - nine years after was supposed to open
Back in 2013 plans for new a £22m hospital in a North Wales seaside town were backed by Welsh Government. Under the proposal the 30 bed facility on the site of the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Rhyl, would have opened in 2016. But nine years after that projected opening date and the scheme for a new hospital alongside a revamp of the existing building has still not started. Planning was secured in 2020 but the Covid pandemic and subsequent spiralling inflation saw it stall. Now a "paired-back" scheme has been put out to consultation by Betsi Cadwaladr health board ahead of a planning application being submitted. READ MORE: North Wales city ranks among five worst seaside resorts in the UK READ MORE: Emirates imposes ban for all flights from October This would see a 14 bed hospital ward alongside a new Minor Injuries and Ailments Unit (MIAU), a dental facility, and new radiology unit. A planning statement said: "Planning permission for a previous design scheme for a new community hospital building at the site was originally granted permission back in 2020. However , progression of the previous redevelopment scheme was hit by implications from the Covid pandemic, and in-turn significant increased development costs. "Consequently, the original proposals were found to be unaffordable, and therefore the proposals have had to be rethought. In the interim period, BCUHB's development and project teams have been working hard to plan a development which will both meet the changing needs of our population and provide value for the public money being spent. "The proposed new building would represent a significant investment for the Royal Alexandra Rhyl campus to complement the retained facilities. Join the North Wales Live Whatsapp community now "Through the updated proposals BCUHB are looking to build a valuable addition to the community services provided in Rhyl, which will help to safeguard the continued use of the Royal Alexandra site for years to come. "Whilst the latest proposals have been paired-back from the previous proposals, the plans aim to incorporate as much of the previously proposed facilities as possible." The development proposals presented are for a new three storey community hospital building. Ground and first floor levels will accommodate the new healthcare facilities, with the second floor limited to accommodating necessary mechanical plant to serve the building. The statement added: "A separate programme of refurbishment and improvement works to the existing grade II listed main Royal Alexandra Hospital building are also planned to go ahead separately to the new building proposals. These refurbishment works will be the subject of a separate application in due course." Leader of the Welsh Conservatives and Clwyd West MS Darren Millar said: "Twelve years ago, the people of North Denbighshire were promised this incredible new hospital which would relieve pressures on Ysbyty Glan Clwyd and greatly improve the patient experience. 'The project has been beset by delays since the estimated costs ballooned and people have been left wondering whether the promised new facility would ever materialise. "Now, we have been insulted with massively scaled back plans, even though pressures at Glan Clwyd are worse than they were twelve years ago. "This is totally unacceptable, and the Welsh Government must now deliver on its many pre-election promises. Anything less will be an insult to people in the locality. "The Welsh Government has spent tens of millions on 20mph speed limits, unnecessary overseas offices, and tree planting in Africa, so money is no excuse for not giving us what we were promised. 'Given the dire state of health services here in North Wales, they should be looking at increasing the number of hospital beds, not slashing them." Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox Find out what's happening near you
