Lilly Raises UK Obesity Shot Price As Trump Pressures Pharma
Lilly said the increase follows a review that looked to address pricing inconsistencies.
Eli Lilly & Co. is raising the list price for its obesity shot in the UK by as much as 170%, as the pharma industry comes under pressure from US President Donald Trump to increase medicine prices in Europe and lower them for Americans.
The current list price in the UK for Lilly’s Mounjaro ranges from £92 ($124.89) to £122 a month, depending on the dose. This will increase to between £133 and £330 from Sept. 1, with the US drugmaker saying it aims to bring rates in line with other countries.
Trump sent letters to 17 of the world’s largest drugmakers earlier this month, including Lilly and Novo Nordisk A/S, which makes the competing shot Wegovy, insisting they lower what they charge Medicaid in the US for existing drugs. He gave the companies 60 days to comply, saying he wants companies to negotiate harder with “foreign freeloading nations” who pay less for their medicines.
Lilly said the increase follows a review that looked to address pricing inconsistencies. The UK was one of the first countries where Mounjaro was introduced, with rates “significantly below the European average to prevent delays” in availability via the National Health Service, the company added.
“With changes in the environment and new clinical evidence supporting the value of Mounjaro, Lilly are now aligning the list price more consistently to ensure fair global contributions to the cost of innovation,” it said.
Affordability Concerns
The new list price is still well below the level in the US, where it costs over $1,000 a month. Still, the higher prices raised concerns in online forums from patients who say the drug will be unaffordable for them.
Patients in the UK usually get most medicines on the National Health Service for a set prescription price of £9.90. However, obesity drugs have only just started to be rolled out on the NHS and the criteria for access are stringent. So far, the majority of patients who access the weight-loss shots have been doing so privately.
The actual price that these patients pay is likely to be well below the list price, because Lilly negotiated commercial agreements with private providers.
Still, those providers are likely to face difficult decisions on how much to pass on any price increase to patients. Pharmacies like Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc.’s Boots and Superdrug, as well as online providers like Juniper and Voy that have focused on weight-loss drugs, have benefited from the rush for obesity shots.
If patients are unable to afford more expensive Mounjaro, they may also switch to Novo’s Wegovy. Novo has not yet announced a similar increase in price for its obesity drug.
While the list price has increased, Lilly said it is working with private providers to maintain access for patients. Separately, the company reached an agreement with the NHS to ensure continued supply and patient access.
