NHS to roll out 'King Kong of weight loss jabs'

The National Health Service (NHS) in England is set to begin administering Mounjaro, dubbed the "King Kong of weight-loss jabs," to patients starting in March 2025, amid concerns about capacity constraints. The once-weekly injection, also known as tirzepatide, will be prescribed alongside a reduced-calorie diet and exercise to help people lose weight, according to The Independent.

Despite an estimated 3.4 million people in England meeting the eligibility criteria for Mounjaro, fewer than 10% will initially have access to the medication on the NHS over the next three years. Only about 220,000 people with the highest clinical needs are expected to receive it during this period, reported the BBC.

Final draft guidance published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) shows NHS England requested that Mounjaro be rolled out over a period of 12 years. The Guardian reported that after the initial three-year period, NICE will review the situation regarding the rollout and provide further guidance, which could extend the timeline up to 12 years.

Patient groups have expressed disappointment at the decision to give the NHS so long to implement the rollout of Mounjaro, according to the BBC. Some experts have warned that due to the NHS's lack of capacity for necessary counselling support, many eligible patients may have to wait up to 12 years before they can access the drug, reported The Sun.

"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," Professor Jonathan Benger, chief medical officer at NICE, stated.

"This means many people will have to wait. We have had to make this difficult decision in order to protect other vital NHS services and also to test ways of delivering this new generation of weight-loss medications," he added, according to Sky News.

Mounjaro has demonstrated significant effectiveness in clinical trials. According to Reuters, trials have shown that people on Mounjaro lost an average of 20.2% of their body weight, significantly more than the 13.7% weight loss noted in patients treated with semaglutide, marketed as Wegovy and Ozempic. The Independent reported that Mounjaro reduces appetite and slows digestion by mimicking the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), which regulates hunger and feelings of fullness.

NICE has recommended Mounjaro for patients with a body mass index (BMI) of more than 35 and at least one weight-related illness, which accounts for about 3.4 million people in England. According to The Guardian, listed weight-related conditions that would make someone eligible include hypertension, dyslipidaemia, obstructive sleep apnoea, cardiovascular disease, prediabetes, and type 2 diabetes.

Initially, Mounjaro will be offered only to patients under the care of specialist weight-management services, which are currently limited. Reuters reported that there are around 40,000 people under such specialist care in the UK, and many local services are experiencing waiting times of six to 24 months following GP referrals.

"This medication is not for people with a healthy BMI who are looking to slim down," Dr. Mitra Dutt explained, as reported by The Independent.

"Obesity is a public health epidemic and is a causal factor of many major chronic health conditions. We welcome the recommendation from NICE to make tirzepatide available to the estimated eligible population of 3.4 million people, and we understand that this will require a phased rollout. However, the recommended timeline still means that fewer than one in 10 of these eligible patients will be able to access treatment within the first three years," said Fernando Campo, vice president of Eli Lilly.

"We want to help NHS England carefully manage the rollout of tirzepatide to ensure that other services are not impacted in a disproportionate way," said Benger, as reported by The Independent. "Whilst the funding variation sets a maximum of 12 years, NICE will review the situation again within three years and provide further advice on how the roll-out of this medicine can be managed using the learning gained from the initial phase. This will ensure the rollout of tirzepatide reaches everyone who is eligible in a safe and effective way," he added.

This article was written in collaboration with generative AI company Alchemiq