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Mounjaro manufacturer Eli Lilly’s decision to increase the drug's UK list price by as much as 170 per cent will drive ‘desperate’ consumers to use the black market, a Warwickshire pharmacist has warned. 

The drugs company announced yesterday that it was hiking prices for the drug dramatically, with the cost of a month’s supply of the highest dose rising from £122 to £330. The price paid by the NHS is not affected by the announcement. 

The Financial Times has reported a huge surge in demand for the drug before the new prices kick in from September, with Asda Online Doctor seeing a 350 per cent rise in demand overnight and online pharmacy MedExpress seeing a 40 per cent rise.  

The move will price out thousands of patients once it takes effect, said Kishan Purohit, lead pharmacist at Crowhill Pharmacy in Nuneaton.

Mr Purohit said: “We see patients every week who have worked incredibly hard, lost significant weight, and improved their health, only to now face the reality that they simply can’t afford to continue.

“The risk is not just that progress will be undone, but that desperation will push people towards unsafe, unregulated sources, the black market for weight loss drugs is already thriving, and this will only fuel it. 

“We urgently need intervention, whether that’s tiered pricing, pharmacy-led support schemes, or broader NHS access, to stop this becoming another barrier in the fight against obesity.  

“Without action, we’re setting people up to fail, and the public health cost will be enormous.” 

Regulators are increasingly concerned about a rising black market trade for weight loss injections, with Northern Ireland officials warning that potentially counterfeit ‘DIY’ kits are increasingly common.  

Henry Gregg, chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association, said the NPA is “urgently supporting” its members and seeking to ensure that patients “can continue their courses of treatment and the wrap around care that pharmacies provide”. 

Mr Gregg added: “Short notice changes to pricing for medicines such as this also have a serious effect on access to an important public health service and pharmacy business themselves.

“We are urging the manufacturers to ensure that pharmacies are treated equitably and that proper support is in place to ensure pharmacies can continue to offer what is a highly popular and effective service to their communities.”

PIlltime superintendent pharmacist Peter Thnoia commented: “The UK has historically benefited from lower Mounjaro pricing than much of Europe and the US; while we recognise and understand why these changes are happening, we also know they will make treatment financially difficult for many patients. 

“That said, the market is competitive and there are alternative treatments available, many of which are clinically proven, and would be more cost effective.

“For anyone considering switching, it’s important this is done safely and under medical supervision to avoid unexpected side effects, as each medication works differently. 

“For those choosing to remain on Mounjaro, UK prices remain in line with – and in some cases slightly lower than – those across Europe.”