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The manufacturer of weight-loss drug Mounjaro says it expects the costs of the jabs to be discounted after an official price rise takes effect on Monday.
Eli Lilly has suggested to pharmacies the cost of the maximum 15mg dose should be ￡247.50 a month, instead of the originally planned ￡330 price tag, which would have represented a 170 per cent increase on the current cost of ￡122 a month.
The new discounted price is still more than double what it costs now.
Lilly is believed to have asked pharmacies to limit the increase to about 100 per cent(Getty Images)
US firm Eli Lilly planned the price increase after US president Donald Trump urged America’s drug manufacturers to raise their prices abroad and reduce them at home.
It led to some UK users stockpiling the jabs, causing shortages at pharmacies, including at Boots, Lloyds Pharmacy and Superdrug.
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As a result, the manufacturer suspended sales of the jab to UK wholesalers.
A confidential document from Eli Lilly to pharmacies sets out the new saving of ￡83 on the cost of the maximum dose, according to Sky News.
Lower doses of the drug, dubbed the “King Kong” of weight-loss medicine, will attract lower discounts. The six doses available range from 2.5mg to 15mg.
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Some pharmacies have reported users are switching to rival weight-loss drug Wegovy, which is cheaper, ahead of the Mounjaro price hike. Sales of Wegovy at one supplier soared by 2,600 per cent following Eli Lilly’s announcement.
The NHS has started rolling out weight-loss jabs through GPs, but health chiefs expect it will take more than a decade to reach everyone who could qualify for the drug, and most users pay for it privately.
Medical experts have warned people not to turn to fake weight-loss jabs after fears the Mounjaro price hike could make it unaffordable for people who are “already struggling to pay for it”.
An Eli Lilly spokesperson said: “We are working with private providers on commercial arrangements to maintain affordability and expect these to be passed onto patients when the change is effective on 1st September.
“We are already seeing providers respond in different ways to the list price change, with a range of options available for eligible patients.
“We also want to work in partnership with the government to expand NHS access for eligible patients, building on the commitments in the government’s 10-year plan.”
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Mounjaro does have downsides for some users. Its side effects include nausea, upset stomach and heartburn.
According to the NHS, some users may experience more serious side effects, such as low blood sugar, gallstones and inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis).