‘King Kong’ slimming jab Mounjaro approved for weight loss in the UK
- The obese and overweight who have weight-related condition should get the jab
- However, it will only be rolled out on the NHS if it receives a further approval
A diabetes drug has been authorised to help obese and overweight adults lose weight, according to the UK’s medicines watchdog.
The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) said Brits who are obese, as well as those who are overweight with a weight-related health problem, should be able to get tirzepatide, sold under the brand name Mounjaro.
However, the injection — which can help users shed 20 per cent of their weight — will only be rolled out on the NHS if it receives a further approval from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice).
If approved, patients would be advised to follow a reduced-calorie diet and do more exercise while taking the drug, which is made by US pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly.
One US expert has described Mounjaro as ‘King Kong’ compared with ‘the gorilla’ of its rival Wegovy.
Mounjaro was given the green light by Nice for NHS use in September for patients with type 2 diabetes who do not have the condition under control.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay said the once-a-week jab had ‘the potential to help thousands of people’ who are overweight and obese.
Tirzepatide, sold under the brand name Mounjaro, has been approved for use for diabetics in the NHS
The above graphic shows how weight-loss drug tirzepatide works. It suppresses hunger by mimicking hormones that indicate the body is full. It also shows the passage of food through the stomach by reducing the production of stomach acid and contractions of the muscle
According to the latest data, digestive problems were the most commonly reported side-effects of tirzepatide, the active ingredient of Mounjaro. These included about one in five participants suffering from nausea and diarrhoea, and about one in ten reporting vomiting or diarrhoea
The active ingredient in the drug, tirzepatide, works by suppressing two appetite-regulating hormones, making people feel fuller for longer while also making them experience fewer food cravings.
The MHRA’s authorisation is based on the results of two clinical trials, which showed patients who were treated with tirzepatide ‘had a significant weight loss over time compared to patients who took a placebo’.
The agency warned, however, that the drug may affect how well the contraceptive pill works among obese or overweight female patients.
It also listed potential side-effects of the medicine, including nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting – which usually goes away over time – and constipation.
Low blood sugar is also ‘very common’ in patients with diabetes, the agency added.
Read more: New weight loss jab Mounjaro could be twice as effective as Wegovy in helping dieters shift the pounds, new research suggests
Julian Beach, MHRA interim executive director of healthcare quality and access, said: ‘We have prioritised rapid assessment of this new indication for Mounjaro, given the public health importance of access to new medicines to help tackle obesity.
‘We have drawn on advice from the independent Commission on Human Medicines in coming to our decision, and as with all products, will keep the safety of Mounjaro under close review.’
Only Brits with a body mass index (BMI) over 30, or a BMI of more than 27 and at least one weight-related illness, are eligible.
On the NHS, it will cost the standard prescription rate of £9.65 in England.
But, in practice, many will get it free under an exemption rule that waives prescription charges for people with certain health conditions.
Most UK private clinics have yet to reveal how much they will charge patients to access Mounjaro, but some have already listed it at £119 for a starting dose.
Patients in the US are already able to get the jab for weight-loss ‘off-label’ from some doctors, with many sharing their unbelievable transformation.
One overweight man claimed the medicine helped him shed up to 100lb (45.4kg).
Before-and-after pictures show the transformation of Matthew Barlow, a 48-year-old health technology executive living in California.
He began using the drug last November. At the same time, he also changed his diet and lifestyle, as recommended.
‘Psychologically, you don’t want to eat. Now I can eat two bites of a dessert and be satisfied,’ he said.
Meanwhile, one TikTok user called Emily, claimed she had lost 140lb (63.5kg) since startling on the weight-loss injections 21 months prior.
In a video detailing her experience, the 31-year-old from north-east Indiana, said she originally weighed 352lb (159.7kg).
While having taken multiple brands of hormone-mimicking weight-loss jabs in her journey, including Ozempic, she has lost about 50lb (22.7kg) since switching to Mounjaro in August 2022.
‘The incredible amount of joy that is in me when I look in the mirror now is insane,’ she said.
‘I used to cry at myself in the mirror. Now I feel like one of the cool kids.’
While not yet approved for weight loss specifically, some Americans are already using it ‘off label’. One of these is Matthew Barlow, a 48-year-old health technology executive living in California, who said he has lost more than 100lb by using Mounjaro and changing his diet
Emily, a 31-year-old from north-east Indiana, originally weighed 352lb (159.7kg) but has lost a whopping 140lb (63.5kg) since starting the weight-loss injections
In September, semaglutide, sold under the brand name Wegovy, was launched in the UK to help tackle obesity.
Experts hope these new-generation drugs will provide a radical way to treat obesity, an issue that costs the NHS an estimated £6.5billion each year.
The drug was approved for NHS use by Nice earlier this year and is now available to patients via specialist services.
Speaking about Mounjaro’s use for weight management, Health Secretary Steve Barclay said: ‘Although further approvals are needed to use this in the NHS, Mounjaro has the potential to help thousands of people living with obesity and support those suffering from weight-related illnesses — if used alongside diet and physical activity.
‘Tackling obesity could help cut waiting lists and save the NHS billions of pounds.’
While currently only available on the NHS as a diabetes drug, private clinics can offer Mounjaro for weight loss by ‘off-label’ prescribing – a system that allows medics to dish out a drug approved in the UK for a different purpose.
Similar private off-label prescriptions were seen for Ozempic before UK supplies of Wegovy became available.
This has contributed to shortages, with some diabetes patients missing out on their prescriptions for diabetes medication as a result.
However, like all drugs, Mounjaro is not without side-effects.
One trial involving 900 participants found a fifth suffered from nausea and diarrhoea, and about one in ten reported vomiting or constipation.
Other people taking the drug outside clinical trials have reported experiencing hair loss while taking Mounjaro.
There has also been a suggested link to an increased risk of cancer from the jab.
The European Medicines Agency said this year that research on rodents has suggested the artificial hormones packaged in tirzepatide could raise the risk of medullary thyroid cancer.
The EU drug watchdog has ruled that a monitoring study of patients taking the drug is required to explore the potential of a raised cancer risk in humans.
All you need to know about the diabetes drug hailed as the ‘King Kong’ of weight loss
What is Mounjaro?
Mounjaro is the brand name of a drug called tirzepatide, made by the US pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly.
The drug is taken once a week by injection and helps to boost the production of insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar, to control type 2 diabetes.
Mounjaro patients typically start on a 2.5mg-dose weekly injection for four weeks.
The dose is gradually bumped up by an additional 2.5mg every four weeks.
The highest dose of Mounjaro that has been studied is 15mg, so that is likely to be the maximum dose a doctor will prescribe.
Mounjaro is the latest in a family of new-generation dugs that could help people lose weight, similar to its rival Wegovy.
Experts hope these drugs will provide a radical new way to treat obesity, an issue that costs the NHS an estimated £6.5billion each year.
How does it work for weight loss?
Tirzepatide belongs to a class of drugs called GLP-1 agonists, which mimic a natural hormone that tells the body when it’s full, suppressing the appetite.
This helps reduce food and calorie intake, leading to people lose more weight than they normally would in combination with diet and exercise.
Unlike its competitors, it also mimics a second hormone that influences appetite called glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), further aiding weight loss.
Some patients already taking the drug have shared their results on social media, with one overweight man claiming it helped him shed 100lb (45.4kg).
How effective is it compared to Ozempic and Wegovy?
Clinical trials found that after just one year, a third of type 2 diabetics taking Mounjaro lost more than 20 per cent of their bodyweight.
This is more that the weight loss observed for rival jabs Ozempic and Wegovy.
These drugs, made by the Danish firm Novo Nordisk, use a different ingredient called semaglutide, also a GLP-1 agonist.
Ozempic is a specific formulation to help manage diabetes, whilst Wegovy is more potent and designed to treat obesity.
Patients on Ozempic could shed up to 10 per cent of their body weight, while those on Wegovy could lose around 15 per cent.
The difference in results led US diabetes expert Dr Julio Rosenstock to declare Mounjaro ‘King Kong’ compared to ‘the gorilla’ of its rival Wegovy.
It’s important to note that these figures are the upper ranges of the weight loss patients experienced and individual results could vary.
Does it have any side-effects?
Clinical trials have reported a number of side-effects from taking Mounjaro.
One involving 900 participants found a fifth suffered from nausea and diarrhoea, and about one in ten reported vomiting or constipation.
Eli Lilly said Mounjaro’s side-effects were most commonly reported during the dose escalation period.
About 4 per cent and 7.5 per cent of participants, in the 10mg and 15mg dosing cohorts respectively, quit the study due to side-effects.
Other people taking the drug outside clinical trials have reported experiencing hair loss while taking Mounjaro.
There has also been a suggested link to an increased risk of cancer from the jab.
The European Medicines Agency said this year that research on rodents had suggested the artificial hormones in tirzepatide could raise the risk of medullary thyroid cancer.
The EU drug watchdog has ruled that a monitoring study of patients taking the drug is required to explore the potential of a raised cancer risk in humans.
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