Health Secretary Wes Streeting has pledged to protect patients from being “priced out” of life-changing weight-loss jabs, after drug manufacturer Eli Lilly announced sharp price increases for its treatment Mounjaro in the private sector.
Mounjaro, sometimes referred to as the “King Kong” of weight-loss injections, has been hailed as a breakthrough in tackling obesity and related health conditions. However, while NHS patients remain shielded from rising costs thanks to negotiated supply deals, private users face steep increases, with the highest dose set to rise from £122 to £247.50 per month.
Streeting said he was “really concerned” that people who could benefit were being excluded. “The fact that you’ve got some people who can afford them privately getting it, and others who can’t being left behind, is wrong,” he told BBC Breakfast.
The minister reaffirmed the Government’s ten-year NHS plan, which promises to expand access to obesity services and bring treatments closer to communities—potentially through pharmacies, shopping centres, or digital services.
While praising the effectiveness of the jabs, Streeting also cautioned about potential risks relating to body image and eating disorders, stressing the need for “wraparound support” alongside medication.
Eli Lilly said it had raised UK prices to align with Europe and the US but has offered discounts to suppliers to limit consumer impact. Currently, around 90% of people using weight-loss injections in Britain pay privately, either online or via pharmacies.
Streeting insisted that, under the NHS, access will continue to be based on medical need rather than financial means.
