Limited Access to Mounjaro: England’s NHS Rolls Out Obesity Drug with Phased Approach

Phased Rollout:
England's National Health Service (NHS) will begin rolling out Eli Lilly's weight-loss drug Mounjaro (tirzepatide) over the next few months, but with limited access initially12.

Eligibility Criteria:
Mounjaro is recommended for patients with a body mass index (BMI) of more than 35 and at least one weight-related illness, such as hypertension, dyslipidaemia, obstructive sleep apnoea, cardiovascular disease, prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes23.

Limited Initial Access:
Only about 220,000 patients with the highest clinical need will have access to Mounjaro in the first three years, which is less than 10% of the estimated 3.4 million eligible patients in England24.

Long-term Rollout:
The full rollout of Mounjaro could take up to 12 years due to NHS capacity issues and the need to manage the rollout carefully to protect other vital NHS services25.

Clinical Effectiveness:
Mounjaro has shown significant effectiveness in clinical trials, with patients losing an average of 20.2% of their body weight, compared to 13.7% with semaglutide (Wegovy and Ozempic)2.

Cost and Savings:
Despite the high cost of Mounjaro, estimated at £317.2 million annually by the third year, NICE believes it is a cost-effective use of NHS resources as it reduces the risk of further health complications related to obesity35.

Sources:

1. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-12-05/eli-lilly-s-obesity-drug-set-for-slow-nhs-rollout-in-england

2. https://www.jpost.com/science/science-around-the-world/article-832437

3. https://www.nationalhealthexecutive.com/articles/nice-outlines-weight-loss-drug-rollout

4. https://news.sky.com/story/king-kong-weight-loss-drug-to-be-given-to-less-than-10-of-eligible-people-in-first-rollout-13266788

5. https://www.euronews.com/health/2024/12/05/england-to-roll-out-anti-obesity-drug-mounjaro-but-access-will-be-limited-to-high-need-pat