The company behind popular weight loss drug Mounjaro has offered a discounted deal to UK suppliers which is expected to limit the price increase to consumers from September.

Earlier this month, Eli Lilly announced it was putting up the list price of the drug by as much as 170% which could have meant the cost of the highest dose going up from £122 to £330 per month.

But the BBC understands the highest dose will now be sold to suppliers for £247.50.

Pharmacies and other private weight-loss services will add their own mark-up to consumers, but it means the price rise for patients is unlikely to be as large as initially feared.

Eli Lilly originally said the UK price of Mounjaro had to increase to be more in line with higher prices in Europe and the US.

US President Donald Trump had previously complained about the high cost of drugs in the US, compared to other countries, and threatened the pharmaceutical industry if they didn’t act.

The deal does not affect the price the NHS pays, as the service has negotiated its own heavily-discounted rate for those getting the drug on prescription.

The weekly injection works by making you feel full so you eat less, and can help people lose 20% of their body weight.

Currently there are thought to be around 1.5 million people on weight loss drugs in the UK with more than half of them on Mounjaro. Estimates suggest nine in 10 pay for these drugs privately, buying from online services and high street pharmacies.

Eli Lilly 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 1 September.

“We are already seeing providers respond in different ways to the list price change, with a range of options available for eligible patients.”

The price the consumer pays depends on which service they buy the weight loss drug from.

Some offer more lifestyle and diet support while on the drug than others.

The BBC has spoken to a number of services and the price rise for customers may be kept under 50% for the higher doses and even less for the lower doses.

Olivier Picard, of the National Pharmacy Association, said: “Pharmacies will do all they can to support patients when prices change.

“This rebate will mitigate some of the impact of the increase, but patients should still anticipate seeing a rise in prices from 1 September.

“Pharmacies are working hard to support their patients and explore if there are options to minimise disruption to their treatment programme.”

People paying privately for weight-loss drug Mounjaro in the UK face a rise in the cost of the treatment after manufacturer Eli Lilly said it was increasing the list price of the drug by as much as 170%.

It means the suggested price for a month’s supply of the highest dose of the drug will rise from £122 to £330, although the rise for lower doses will be smaller.

More generally, retailers who sell the drug may be able to negotiate discounts to the list price, so it is possible the impact on consumers will be limited.

The announcement does not affect the price the NHS pays, as the service has negotiated a heavily-discounted rate for those getting the drug on prescription.

The weekly injection works by making you feel full so you eat less, and can help people lose 20% of their body weight.

Currently there are thought to be around 1.5 million people on weight loss drugs in the UK with more than half of them on Mounjaro. Estimates suggest nine in 10 pay for these drugs privately, buying from online services and high street pharmacies.

Eli Lilly said the drug had been sold in the UK at a price that was “significantly below” that charged in other European countries.

It comes after US President Donald Trump complained about the high cost of drugs in the US.

He has threatened the pharmaceutical industry with a “most favoured nation” drug pricing proposal to peg US prices to those abroad.

Eli Lilly said it agreed with the objective expressed by President Trump that costs should be shared more fairly – although a “most favoured nation” approach was not the right answer.

Research suggests prices in the US can be three times higher than in other rich nations.

In a statement, Eli Lilly said: “The UK was one of the first countries where Lilly launched Mounjaro, and our priority was to bring it to patients as quickly as possible during a time of limited availability.

“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.”

Dr Leyla Hannbeck, head of the Independent Pharmacies Association, said she was “shocked and very disappointed” by the price rise.

“This is a real blow to patients at a time when more and more people, worried about their weight, are turning to jabs.

“It is vital that patients who are already taking Mounjaro talk to their local pharmacy before they take any action.

“Those patients considering weight-loss jabs should also not be put off as Mounjaro is not the only option. Local pharmacies are best placed to offer vital advice about the range of treatments available.”

She said it was important other weight loss drug manufacturers hold their nerve and their prices. Alongside Mourjaro, Novo Nordisk drug, Wegovy, is widely used in the UK.

“The British market for weight-loss jabs is only set to grow, but it will only achieve that growth if treatment remains affordable to the average patient,” Dr Hannbeck added.

Getty Images

Who is eligible for Mounjaro from GPs right now?

Will I get Mounjaro if I meet the criteria?

Where else is Mounjaro available?

When can I get Mounjaro if I don’t fit the criteria right now?

What about the rest of the UK?

At the moment, only Wegovy is available on the NHS in England, Wales and Scotland.

It must be prescribed by a weight management specialist, and access to these is restricted.

To qualify, adults must be obese and have at least one pre-existing weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure.

People with cardiovascular disease who are classed as overweight, but not quite obese, can also be given the drug.

Patients should follow a diet and physical activity programme, and the drug should be only prescribed for a maximum of two years, according to NHS guidelines.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended that Mounjaro should also be offered to NHS patients in England from March 2025, alongside advice on diet and exercise.

As with Wegovy, it will initially only be available to obese patients who have a weight-related health condition and are under the care of a specialist.

However, from June, the drug will be offered more widely. It is not clear how this will be managed, or who will provide ongoing monitoring and support.

Detailed NHS England guidance is expected in early 2025.

It is possible that around 3.4 million people could eventually qualify for Mounjaro.

To help manage demand, Nice has said the NHS can take more than a decade to roll out access to the drug. It is thought 300,000 could benefit in the first three years.

Wegovy, also known as semaglutide, which is already available on the NHS, works in a similar way. But that can only be given to those under the care of specialist weight-loss management.

There are around 40,000 people estimated to be in that position.

The drugs can be bought privately. Both medicines are also already available for people with type 2 diabetes – although semaglutide is marketed as Ozempic for those patients.

The rollout of Mounjaro opens up the option of this new generation of weight-loss drugs to the wider public who are struggling with severe obesity.

To be eligible, patients will also need to have one obesity-related condition, such as type 2!diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease.

Under the rollout plans, those with the highest clinical need will be prioritised first.

It is estimated around 220,000 will benefit in the first three years.

NICE then plans to evaluate how that is working, before pushing ahead with the wider rollout.

As this is final draft guidance, it is still possible rollout could be delayed if there are any appeals made against the decision. If there is not, the guidance will be rubber-stamped before Christmas, NICE said.

She said: “Susan had always carried a wee bit of extra weight but there were never any health concerns. She wasn’t on any other medication. She was healthy.”

“Susan was such a bubbly person. She was really generous, she was really kind and she was the life of the party – a huge personality. They said she had the biggest laugh in the hospital.”

Ms Campbell was told by doctors that her aunt’s kidneys were not functioning properly. Days later she went into a coma, and her organs began to fail.

“It was so quick,” she said. “I still find myself thinking, ‘has that actually happened?’”

Tirzepatide is one of a group of weight-loss drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, which work by making the patient feel fuller for longer.

It was approved for use as a weight-loss aid in the UK in 2023 by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

That included use on the NHS, although the drug is currently only prescribed by the NHS for a small number of patients due to factors like cost and availability.

The MHRA runs the yellow card scheme, where any member of the public or health profession can log reports of suspected side effects of drugs.

Public data is only available up to May this year, but between January and May 2024 there were 208 reports about tirzepatide on the yellow card scheme, including 31 serious reactions and one suspected death of a man in his sixties.

Ms McGowan’s death is too recent to appear within this data.