People using the weight loss jab Mounjaro have reacted with dismay to the news its manufacturer, Eli Lilly, plans a price increase in the UK from September. Many people are worried they will be unable to continue using the medication, raising concerns for their mental and physical health.
For trainee driving instructor Michael, the news is devastating. “I found something that has changed my life and now it’s gone,” says the 52-year-old from Brighton. “The only word that comes to mind is ‘gutted’.”
Michael’s starting weight in April was 91.5kg and in just under five months he has lost 16kg and is nearly at his goal weight. Despite being “pretty active”, taking more than 17,000 steps a day, he doesn’t believe that the weight will stay off if he stops taking Mounjaro.
“I’ve battled with weight all my life. I’ve lost it in the past but it just comes back. But paying £330 for Mounjaro [after the price rise] is ridiculous. So to lose what’s been like a magic potion for me is a terrible shame.”
His plan was to slowly reduce his use of the weight loss drug but he is concerned shortages might prevent this. “I’ve ordered two doses at a higher strength and will buy some extra needles and attempt to ‘guess’ my dose by counting clicks. It’s pushed me into doing what I don’t really want to do, but I don’t feel I have much of a choice.”
Like many others, Polly, a retired NHS worker in her 60s from Cardiff, said using Mounjaro has “hugely changed” her life. Not only has she lost almost 25kg, but with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, she’s noticed the weight loss has alleviated her breathing problems. “It was difficult climbing stairs but the difference now is amazing.”
But the price rise of Mounjaro, it seems, is prohibitive. “I am stretching myself financially but I can’t anymore,” she says.
Paying privately for the weight loss jabs and with about 15kg to lose to be comfortably within her normal weight range, Polly will probably switch to using Wegovy – a cheaper weight loss jab produced by the Danish firm Novo Nordisk. “I daren’t stop,” she says. “I can just about afford Mounjaro now because I am spending less on food and not snacking, but I can’t justify the new cost.”
However not everyone is keen to switch, with many readers reporting they are comfortable using Mounjaro and are concerned they may experience new side-effects if they change. In addition, studies have suggested Wegovy is less effective for weight loss.
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For 64-year-old Christopher, Mounjaro’s price hikes are a corporate failure that he is willing to walk away from. “[Eli Lilly] have a choice about how they react to Trump and it seems they’ve chosen to put any losses they might make in the US on to the UK consumer. It’s disappointing,” he says.
While he only started using Mounjaro in January after deciding to pay for it privately, he has already lost about 20kg. “I pay £205 a month for the maximum dose of 15mg,” says the retired solicitor from Ware, Hertfordshire. “It’s very expensive but effective.”
Christopher, who was looking to continue taking Mounjaro for a few more years, thinks the change in price will make it too much of a “luxury” for him.
“I think the way they’ve gone about it is really bad. You’re meant to gradually build up your dose, so to introduce price increases at such short notice will mean people who stop mid course are likely to put weight back on rapidly.
“I might switch to a cheaper alternative but I expect I’ll face disappointment once I stop taking Mounjaro.”
