UK patients who rely on the blockbuster weight-loss drug Mounjaro are bracing for a sharp price hike next week, but a last-minute discount scheme from manufacturer Eli Lilly is set to soften the blow—at least a little. According to a confidential document seen by Sky News, the pharmaceutical giant has instructed pharmacies to apply a discount of £83 to the maximum 15mg dose, lowering the new monthly price from a planned £330 to £247.50 starting September 1, 2025. While that’s a far cry from the current £122, it’s less severe than the 170% increase initially feared.
The move, confirmed by Eli Lilly to several outlets including BBC News and The Independent, is part of a broader effort to align UK prices with those in Europe and the US. The company’s statement to Sky News was clear: “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 increase comes after pressure from US President Donald Trump, who publicly criticized what he called “foreign freeloaders” benefiting from cheaper medicines than Americans. The White House has been pushing major drugmakers to raise prices abroad so that they can be lowered for US consumers, a move that’s now rippling across the Atlantic. As The Independent noted, Trump’s stance led Eli Lilly to plan the UK price hike, which in turn prompted some British patients to stockpile Mounjaro, causing shortages at high street pharmacies like Boots, Lloyds Pharmacy, and Superdrug. Eli Lilly even temporarily suspended sales to UK wholesalers to prevent further hoarding.
For the more than 1.25 million people in the UK currently using weight-loss drugs, the vast majority of whom pay privately, the news is both a relief and a worry. About 90% of these patients use Mounjaro—also known by its generic name tirzepatide—via weekly injections. Clinical trials have shown that Mounjaro can help users shed up to 20% of their body weight within months, outpacing alternatives like Wegovy, which typically results in 15% weight loss. But with the cost of the highest dose doubling overnight, affordability is a growing concern.
Reece Maddick, a patient who started Mounjaro in November when he weighed 24 stone (152kg), told Sky News he’s lost over 6 stone (38kg) and seen a dramatic improvement in both physical and mental health. Still, he’s anxious about the future. “It does petrify me,” Maddick said. “I don’t want to go back to where I was eight or nine months ago.” After missing a weekly dose, he noticed his appetite return almost immediately. “I fear just from that week missing it. I think it’s like jumping off a cliff, and you’re back to square one. I’d put all the weight back on. No doubt in my mind.”
The online pharmacy CheqUp, based in Chippenham, Wiltshire, ships around 4,000 weight-loss drug orders every day—almost all for Mounjaro. According to director James Hunt, the price hike is already prompting some users to consider switching to Wegovy, which will soon be the cheaper option. Hunt warns against risky cost-saving measures, however: “We would urge absolutely everybody to avoid the black market, to avoid beauticians offering to give you injections of semaglutide (Wegovy) or tirzepatide (Mounjaro). Absolutely do not do that. We would also urge people not to microdose, not to skip weeks. If you’re taking a medication you need to use that medication as it’s been instructed and designed to be used clinically.”
The discounted deal from Eli Lilly only applies to private pharmacies and weight-loss clinics, as the NHS has negotiated its own heavily reduced rate for eligible patients. However, NHS provision remains limited, and the rollout of weight-loss jabs through general practitioners is expected to take more than a decade to reach everyone who could benefit. That leaves the bulk of users buying their medication online or from high street pharmacies, where prices and additional support—like lifestyle and dietary counseling—can vary widely.
Olivier Picard, chair of the National Pharmacy Association, acknowledged the challenges ahead for both patients and providers. “This rebate will mitigate some of the impact of the increase in Mounjaro prices faced by pharmacies but patients should still anticipate seeing a rise in prices from 1 September. Prices advertised in many pharmacies will already reflect this discount and pharmacies will also have to wait to receive this retrospectively after dispensing,” Picard told Sky News. He added to BBC News, “Pharmacies are working hard to support their patients and explore if there are options to minimise disruption to their treatment programme.”
Estimates suggest that around 1.5 million people in the UK are currently on weight-loss drugs, with more than half using Mounjaro. The overwhelming majority—nine in ten—pay out of pocket. The price patients ultimately pay depends not only on the base cost but also on which provider they choose and what additional services are bundled with the medication. Some clinics offer more comprehensive support, which can affect the final bill.
The looming price hike has already had ripple effects in the marketplace. According to The Independent, sales of rival drug Wegovy jumped by an astonishing 2,600% at one supplier after Eli Lilly’s announcement. Some users are switching to Wegovy to save money, even though it tends to deliver slightly less dramatic weight loss than Mounjaro. Meanwhile, medical experts are urging caution, warning patients not to turn to fake or black-market weight-loss jabs that could endanger their health.
As with any medication, Mounjaro comes with potential side effects. The NHS lists nausea, upset stomach, and heartburn among the most common, but more serious issues like low blood sugar, gallstones, and pancreatitis can also occur. For some, these risks are outweighed by the benefits of meaningful weight loss, but the new, higher price tag may force patients to weigh those risks and benefits more carefully than ever.
Eli Lilly, for its part, says it wants to work with the government to expand NHS access for eligible patients, building on the commitments in the government’s 10-year plan. But for now, the company is focused on “commercial arrangements to maintain affordability” with private providers. As the company put it in statements to multiple outlets, “We are now aligning the list price more consistently to ensure fair global contribution to the cost of innovation.”
With the official price rise taking effect September 1, patients, pharmacies, and providers across the UK are scrambling to adapt. Whether this last-minute discount will be enough to keep Mounjaro within reach for the hundreds of thousands who depend on it remains to be seen—but for many, the clock is ticking.
