Is Trump to blame for the UK’s 170% Mounjaro price surge?

The cost of Mounjaro, a popular weight-loss injection, is set to rise sharply in the UK – from £122 to £330 – a 170 per cent increase starting this September.

The price hike, confirmed by US pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, has sparked frustration among patients and renewed questions about the global pricing of weight-loss drugs, particularly as Donald Trump pushes for American prices to match cheaper international rates.

At least half a million people in the UK currently use either Mounjaro or its rival Wegovy, through private clinics or prescriptions, according to retailers. NHS patients prescribed Mounjaro, however, will not be impacted by the private price increase.

The timing of the rise follows reports that Trump sent letters last week to CEOs of 17 major drugmakers, including Eli Lilly, pressuring them to reduce US prices to match those paid overseas.

Officials close to the move reportedly said the letters were intended to support ongoing international pricing negotiations and urged companies to adopt "most favoured nation" pricing.

The US currently pays significantly more for prescription drugs than any other developed country – in some cases, nearly three times more.

Getty Images

In a statement, Eli Lilly confirmed it is "working with certain governments to make any necessary pricing adjustments by September 1."

“This includes an agreement with the UK government to increase the list price of Mounjaro, while maintaining access for NHS patients,” a spokesperson added.

The company also explained that Mounjaro initially launched in the UK at a price “significantly below” that in its three other European markets, in order to fast-track NHS availability.

“We are now aligning the list price more consistently,” the spokesperson said.

While not directly naming Trump, Eli Lilly said it supports the idea that drug prices should be “more fairly shared across developed countries,” while calling out the unique challenges in the American healthcare system.

“The US system is complex and opaque, with multiple cross subsidies, abuse of government programs like 340B, and insurance cost-sharing burdens for patients,” the company said. “This makes the US different from other developed nations, which have a less complicated system and low, or no out-of-pocket costs for patients.”

Eli Lilly also highlighted its recent efforts to reduce costs in the US, stating: “In the US, we have taken concrete steps to lower patient costs: scaling Lilly Direct to provide more affordable access to Lilly medicines, including Zepbound, and leading the industry by reducing insulin prices by 70% and capping what people pay monthly at $35.”

You should also read...

• What is Mounjaro? How it works and rules about prescriptions of the weight loss drug
• Trump’s 'immediate' election-winning promise to Americans has been completely exposed

Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

How to join the indy100's free WhatsApp channel

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.