Maker of popular weight loss drug pauses shipments to UK

The manufacturer of the popular weight loss drug Mounjaro has paused shipments to the UK ahead of an upcoming price hike.

US pharma company Eli Lilly said the pause was to manage its supply and ensure patients maintain access to the drug ahead of the hike in September. It added it has allocations in place for pharmacies and providers that order medicines from the company, and there were legal protections in place to prevent inappropriate stockpiling of medicines by providers.

It said it would resume UK orders from 1 September - when the price of the drug is set to go up 170%, with the highest dose of the medicine increasing from £122 to £330. The hike comes amid White House pressure to increase the price of the drug abroad so it can be made cheaper in the US.

The US pays more for prescription drugs than any other country, often nearly three times as much as other developed nations. While many pay for Mounjaro in the UK, it became available on the NHS at the end of June, and Lilly says the higher price will not affect those who get it through the health service.

But Sky News revealed earlier this month that only eight of 42 NHS Integrated Care Boards in England were providing the weight loss treatment to patients, and many of the rest were unable to guarantee when it would be available. Read more:What are weight loss jabs and what were they designed to do?Weight loss drugs investigated over suicidal thoughts Mounjaro - also known by its generic name tirzepatide - has become a popular alternative to the most well-known weight loss drug, Ozempic.

Both drugs - which are taken as weekly injections - were developed as treatments for type 2 diabetes. They lower blood sugar by increasing insulin production when your blood sugar is rising, and by helping prevent your liver making and releasing too much sugar..