Individuals living in Britain can now buy the weight loss injection Mounjaro for less than £50 a week.
Private clinics are charging customers £42 for a week’s supply of Mounjaro – the ‘King Kong’ of weight loss jabs.
Previous research indicates that people can lose nearly a quarter of their body weight if they use the weight loss injection.
- Research shows Mounjaro achieves better weight loss results than Wegovy and Ozempic
- Mounjaro: new weight loss jab approved in the UK
- Mounjaro may soon be approved by NHS for weight loss
Private prescriptions are available for people with a body mass index (BMI) higher than 30 – the technical classification for obesity.
The NHS also has supplies of tirzepatide, but there are limitations as to who can be prescribed the drug.
Currently, tirzepatide can only be prescribed via the NHS to individuals with type 2 diabetes who do not have the condition under control.
Talks are currently underway for the NHS to potentially roll out the drug to treat weight loss, at the cost of a normal prescription rate.
In November, drug chiefs approved the once-a-week jab, which is injected under the skin of the stomach, thigh or upper arm.
However, due to huge global demand, the drug has not been available.
Mounjaro will offer people a different option to Wegovy which has the active ingredient semaglutide – a weight loss drug currently in short supply due to overwhelming demand.
Developed by pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly, tirzepatide suppresses two appetite-regulating hormones, meaning people feel fuller for longer.
The injection is supplied in a four-dose pen branded as KwikPen.
Mounjaro is already being used in the US for weight loss, with many people experiencing remarkable results.
- Weight loss plateau unavoidable even with Ozempic and Wegovy
- FDA approves new obesity drug Zepbound to compete with Wegovy
- Wegovy effect: Nestle launching new products for people using semaglutide jabs
Matthew Barlow has lost 45.5kg since using the weight loss drug last November. During this time, the 48-year-old from California also changed his lifestyle by eating a healthy diet.
He said: “Psychologically, you don’t want to eat. Now I can eat two bites of a dessert and be satisfied.”
TikTok user Emily has also reportedly lost 63.5kg since using the weight loss jab.
She said: “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.”
Mounjaro can impact the effectiveness of the contraceptive pill in obese or overweight female patients.
Additional side effects of the weight loss jab include nausea, vomiting, constipation and diarrhoea.
In addition, those taking Mounjaro are more at risk of developing cancer or experiencing hair loss, studies have reported.
