NHS to restrict 'King Kong of weight loss drugs' to patients

Only 10% of patients in England who are eligible for the “King Kong of weight loss drugs” will initially be able to access it on the NHS, after a “difficult decision” was made “in order to protect other vital NHS services”.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) says it is prioritising people with the highest needs after recommending Mounjaro – also known as tirzepatide and made by Eli Lilly – for those with a body mass index (BMI) of more than 35 and at least one weight-related illness. This is estimated to account for about 3.4 million people in the UK.

To help the NHS manage demand, the NHS spending watchdog said about 220,000 people could benefit from the drug in an initial three-year period. After this, the situation will be reviewed by Nice.

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Mounjaro is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist, a family of medications that help manage blood sugar, that was initially given the green light to help manage obesity on the NHS in June as part of draft guidance from Nice. The once-weekly jab should be prescribed along alongside a reduced-calorie diet and exercise to help people lose weight. Other GLP-1 agonists include semaglutide – sold under the brand names Wegovy, Ozempic and Rybelsus.

Professor Jonathan Benger, chief medical officer at Nice, said: “The world will look very different in three years which is why we’ve taken the unprecedented decision to review the way this medicine is delivered to patients then. Tirzepatide and other drugs like it, such as semaglutide, will help people living with obesity to lose weight, and as a result will reduce their risk of developing heart disease or having a stroke.

“But