Mounjaro weight-loss jab price to rocket 170% – but NHS patients spared
Credit: Mohammed_Al_Ali, Shutterstock
Private patients who rely on the hit weight-loss jab Mounjaro are facing a brutal price surge of up to 170% from September, after US drug giant Eli Lilly confirmed it is hiking UK prices to match other European countries.
The monthly cost for the highest dose of Mounjaro, also used to treat type 2 diabetes, will leap from £122 to a staggering £330. The increase will not hit NHS patients, who are covered under a separate deal, but those paying privately – often via online clinics or high street pharmacies – will feel the full force of the rise.
Lilly admits it initially sold Mounjaro in the UK “significantly below” prices in France, Germany and Italy to speed up NHS access. Now, the company says it is “aligning” prices across Europe.
Critics warn the change could price many UK patients out of treatment, as private prescriptions for weight-loss jabs have soared in recent years with celebrities and influencers fuelling demand.
The drug’s list price is set by the manufacturer before discounts, but private providers such as Boots, Superdrug and online pharmacies can set their own charges. Some may absorb part of the increase – though insiders say most will simply pass it on to customers.
The NHS has approved Mounjaro for certain type 2 diabetes patients, but weight-loss use is still tightly restricted on the National Health Service, leaving many to fund it themselves.
Health campaigners have accused Big Pharma of using British patients as “cash cows” to make up for lower profits in the US.
Why a White House plan is hitting British patients in the pocket
The move comes as US President Donald Trump pushes drugmakers to hike prices overseas so he can slash costs at home. America pays almost three times more for prescription drugs than most other rich nations, and the White House says it is determined to close the gap.
Eli Lilly will lift the UK list price of its weight‑loss and diabetes jab Mounjaro from £122 to £330 for the top dose from September, saying it is aligning with Europe as the White House pushes drugmakers to rebalance prices abroad while cutting them at home. NHS patients are shielded by a separate agreement, but private buyers will feel the hike.
The US has no national cap on medicine prices and pays about 2.8 times more on average than other rich countries. President Trump has vowed to close that gap, leaning on industry and eyeing “most‑favoured nation” style benchmarks that tie US prices to overseas levels.
By contrast, the UK uses NICE to assess value and NHS England to commission care, which keeps public‑sector prices in check. Those controls do not apply to private prescriptions, where pharmacies set their own prices and patients pay in full.
Who can get Mounjaro on the NHS: Is it a postcode lottery?
Mounjaro is now approved for adults with obesity, but the rules are strict. Under NICE guidance (TA1026), you need a BMI of 35 or more and at least one serious weight-related health problem – such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease or sleep apnoea – to qualify.
If you’re from a South Asian, Chinese, other Asian, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean background, the BMI cut-off is lower by 2.5 points, reflecting the higher health risks in these groups.
It’s being rolled out in both GP surgeries and specialist weight-management clinics, but not everywhere at once. NHS England began the phased rollout across Integrated Care Boards in March 2025, so where you live still makes a big difference to how quickly you can get it..
When UK drug prices spiked before
One of the worst cases was the thyroid drug liothyronine. Its price rocketed from about £20 in 2009 to nearly £250 a pack by 2017. Watchdogs called it “excessive and unfair” and hit the maker, Advanz Pharma, with a £99 million fine – a penalty upheld in court earlier this year.
Another scandal came in 2017-18, when shortages sent the price of some everyday generic medicines through the roof. The NHS ended up paying an extra £315 million, blowing local budgets and leaving taxpayers to foot the bill. Should drug firms be stopped from hiking prices so sharply – or is it just business?
NHS Prescription (England) Private Prescription
- £9.90 per item in 2025/26 – the charge remains frozen at this rate. Each medicine listed on a prescription counts as a separate item.
- You pay the full cost of the medicine plus a dispensing fee, which varies by pharmacy.
- Many people are exempt – including children under 16, people over 60, pregnant women, those with certain long-term conditions and people on low incomes.
- In some cases, especially with low-cost generics, private prescriptions can work out cheaper than £9.90, but prices vary and there is no national cap.
- A Prescription Prepayment Certificate (PPC) can cut costs for people who need regular medication: £32.05 for 3 months or £114.50 for 12 months.
- For specialist or branded medicines, private prescription prices can easily reach £50 to over £200 depending on the drug and provider.
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