ELI LILLY said on Thursday it will increase the UK list price of its weight-loss drug Mounjaro by up to 170 per cent. The price change comes as the White House urges drugmakers to raise prices in Europe to enable price cuts in the United States.
The new price, which also applies to Lilly's type 2 diabetes medicine sold under the same name, will take effect in September. A month's supply of the highest dose will rise from £122 to £330, the company said.
The increase will apply to those paying for Mounjaro privately but will not affect patients receiving it through the National Health Service (NHS), which has a separate pricing agreement, a Lilly spokesperson said.
When Mounjaro was launched in Britain, Lilly set a list price “significantly below” that in its other three European markets to avoid delays in NHS availability. “We are now aligning the list price more consistently,” the company said.
The change comes as drugmakers adjust to policy shifts in the United States, their largest market, where president Donald Trump is seeking lower domestic drug prices while encouraging increases overseas.
Last week, Lilly CEO David Ricks told investors that price parity between the US and Europe was desirable over time, but said European governments “are not signing up to pay more for drugs.”
The US pays more for prescription drugs than any other country, often nearly three times more than other developed nations. Trump says he wants to narrow this gap to prevent Americans from being “ripped off.”
Reuters reported last week that the Trump administration has been in talks with drugmakers about ways to equalise prices across markets.
A list price is the amount set by a drug manufacturer before any discounts or rebates.
Lilly said it is working with private UK healthcare providers, including online pharmacies, which can set their own prices, to maintain access to the medicines.
Lilly launched Mounjaro in the UK in February 2023, while rival Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy became available in the country in September 2023.
(With inputs from Reuters)
John Renard, president EMEA, Cyient; Sujit Ghosh; Nara Lokesh; Harshul Asnani; Nidhi Mani Tripathi, minister (economic), High Commission of India to the UK; and Shehla Hasan at the London event
Abhishikth Kishore