Concerns Mounjaro users will turn to black market amid 170% price surge

Concerns have been raised that users of a weight loss drug will turn to the black market to avoid increased price charges.

The manufacturers of Mounjaro announced in August that the UK price for the medication would increase by up to 170% from September 1.

This means the wholesale price of a month’s supply of the highest dose will rise from £122 to £330.

Manufacturer Eli Lilly said the increase would bring the drug’s price in the UK more in line with other countries.

‘I’ve tried everything’

Jenna Donaldson, 37, who owns a salon in Newhaven, says her busy lifestyle as a mother of two left her little time to focus on weight loss.

Jenna has had two liposuction surgeries to help reduce weight. STV News

In 2022, she had two liposuction surgeries to help reduce her weight, but she says nothing she has tried has been as effective as Mounjaro.

“I’ve tried everything”, she said. “I’m a single parent, a working mum, and I’m busy. I’m quite chaotic in the gym; I just could not get into a routine of losing weight.

“I’ve had personal trainers, I’ve had liposuction twice, and I chose liposuction because I just felt that maybe I was meant to be the way I was, but I just needed to lose my tummy fat.

“And then it doesn’t really change how your mind thinks about food. So, yeah, I’d tried everything.”

After being on Mounjaro for almost a year, Jenna says the price hike has helped her decide to wean off the drug, but says that others may now turn to the black market to access the drug.

“First thought was, ‘get your last pen and now before the price goes up’. There has to come a point where you have a healthy, balanced diet for it, and do it for yourself”, she added.

“I think I’m going to be okay when I come off it. Right now, I don’t take an injection every weekend anymore.

“I’m already spacing them out. I do find a niggle in my head, like, ‘oh, my gosh. What if you put on all that weight again?’

“But I think now, because I’ve lost it, I will never let myself creep up to that again.

“Anybody who can’t afford to start a journey on one date or now with a price increase. I think that we’re going to have a black market now.

“So a lot of illegal stuff’s coming in and people are going to use that and they’re going to end up sick, probably.”

Since the cost of the pen increased, manufacturers have offered a discounted deal to UK suppliers to limit the rise – but patients could still pay over £100 extra a month for the drug.

Sehar Shahid said she saw a sharp rise in customers. STV News

Sehar Shahid, who owns a 24-hour pharmacy, said she saw a surge in new patients after the price hike was announced, driven by supply shortages elsewhere.

“We’ve had a huge influx of new patients who want to switch over to us, because maybe their current provider didn’t have stock”, she said.

“So, we’ve had an influx of patients, which is great for us as a business, but ultimately, it’s also about supporting these new patients and giving them the right advice because a lot of them are coming to me, and perhaps were misinformed and chose dosages that weren’t actually suitable for them.

“I’ve had patients who have been using vials. Apparently, it’s Mounjaro, but we don’t know what it is, actually.

“I really, really encourage patients to think twice and just stick to regulated sources.”

William Cawthorn, a nutritionist from Edinburgh University, said that there’s a risk that those coming off the drug could regain the weight they’ve lost.

“One concern is who the price hikes mainly affect? Will they only affect patients taking it privately and not on the NHS? That’s about 90% of the people taking it in this country.

“We know that when people stop taking the drug, they will regain weight, and then you’ll get a re-emergence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.”