As you may have read, Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of the popular weight loss injection Mounjaro (tirzepatide), has increased the wholesale price of the treatment in the UK. If you’re currently using Mounjaro, you’re probably wondering what options are available to you and how your weight loss journey may be affected.
In this article, we’ll discuss how you can respond to the Mounjaro price increase and explain the reasons behind the upheaval.
Mounjaro Price Increase: Your Options
At the moment, there are two main avenues to choose from. They are:
- Switch to a New Treatment: Your first option is to change to another weight loss medication that isn’t affected by the Mounjaro price increase. We would recommend Wegovy for this purpose, as it’s the closest to Mounjaro in terms of dosage schedule and how the injection is administered.
- Continue on Mounjaro: Alternatively, you could continue with your Mounjaro regimen. Unfortunately, this would mean that the cost of your treatment would go up. There may even be issues with stock levels in the short term as customers try to prepare for the price hike before it comes into effect.
At Prescription Doctor, we’re committed to providing a straightforward and cost-effective service to our customers. We would therefore recommend that you consider switching to Wegovy and continue your weight loss journey without needing to worry about a potentially significant increase in price.
How to Switch to Wegovy
If you do decide to change from Mounjaro to Wegovy, Prescription Doctor is committed to making the process as safe and straightforward as possible. Simply place a treatment request for Wegovy, and our experienced clinicians will take care of the rest.
While most people currently using Mounjaro will be eligible for Wegovy, we will carefully check a number of factors before prescribing the new medication. These include:
- Your current Mounjaro dose
- If you’ve experienced side effects
- How you’ve been handling the side effects of Mounjaro
- How long you’ve been on Mounjaro treatment, and how you’ve responded so far
If your Wegovy order is approved, you can take your first dose of the new treatment 7 days after your last dose of Mounjaro. When it comes to your starting strength of Wegovy, this will be determined by your current Mounjaro dose. Please note that this will usually involve you starting on a slightly lower dose of Wegovy to minimise the risk of side effects and ensure your safety.
Our recommended starting doses of Wegovy are shown in the table below:
Current Mounjaro Dose | Starting Wegovy Dose |
|---|---|
2.5 mg | 0.25 mg |
5 mg | 0.5 mg |
7.5 mg | 0.5 mg |
10 mg | 1 mg |
12.5 mg | 1 mg |
15 mg | 1 mg |
If you have experienced any issues or concerns relating to side effects during your Mounjaro journey, our clinicians may recommend starting on a lower Wegovy dose than what is listed in the table above. All decisions relating to the appropriate starting dose of Wegovy will be made on a case-by-case basis.
Once you have started your Wegovy treatment, you will typically follow the standard dosage schedule for that medication.
Why Choose Wegovy?
Like Mounjaro, Wegovy is a once-weekly subcutaneous injection that can deliver some impressive weight loss results in its own right. The STEP 1 clinical trial found that around 30% of Wegovy patients lost at least 20% of their starting body weight. This is compared to just 1.7% who were given a placebo.
Wegovy also became the first (and currently still the only) weight loss drug to be approved in the UK for people with established cardiovascular disease. This further enhances the potential of Wegovy beyond simply helping people shed pounds.
One of the main reasons that Mounjaro is considered to be more effective than Wegovy for weight loss is that the former has a higher maintenance dose (15 mg of tirzepatide vs 2.4 mg of semaglutide) than the latter. This gap could shorten, however, as Wegovy’s manufacturers have submitted a new 7.2 mg dose to the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
Wegovy
- Approved Weight Loss treatment
- Weekly injection
- Reduces risk of heart attack & stroke
Clinical trials have shown that around a third (33.2%) of patients taking this new strength lost at least 25% of their starting body weight after 72 weeks. This is compared to just 16.7% of those who stuck to the current maximum dose of 2.4 mg.
The final reason you may want to switch from Mounjaro to Wegovy is the cost. Once the new Mounjaro price increase comes into effect, Wegovy could become the most cost-effective option for those looking to lose weight. While pricing is not the be-all and end-all, we recognise that this is still an important factor when deciding which treatment is right for you.
For an in-depth comparison of Mounjaro and Wegovy, please read our dedicated article.
Mounjaro Price Increase: Background Information
Now that outlined your options for navigating the Mounjaro price increase, let’s delve into how all of this happened in the first place.
What Happened?
On the 14th of August 2025, Eli Lilly announced that people paying privately for Mounjaro will see a price increase across developed markets such as the UK, which could be as much as 170% for the highest maintenance dose of 15 mg. The rise for lower doses is expected to be smaller.
It’s important to note that the Mounjaro price increase will not impact those obtaining the medication on the NHS, as Lilly has already announced an agreement with the UK government to maintain access for NHS patients.
That being said, many people still choose to obtain Mounjaro privately due to the long waiting times and stricter eligibility criteria that come with NHS treatment.
Why Did it Happen?
According to Eli Lilly, the Mounjaro price increase is to make the cost of breakthrough medications more “fairly shared across developed countries”. It comes after the United States government expressed a desire to bring European and US pharmaceutical prices more into line.
In statements to news outlets, Lilly also said that when Mounjaro was first launched in the UK, it agreed a list price that was “significantly below” the European average so that there was no delay to the treatment becoming available on the NHS. However, they were now taking the step of “aligning the list price more consistently to ensure fair global contributions to the cost of innovation”.
It’s also worth pointing out that the price increase has come directly from the manufacturer rather than the actual providers of the medication.
When Will the Mounjaro Price Increase Take Effect?
Mounjaro’s price increase in the UK will come into effect from the 1st of September 2025. The change will impact every patient who purchases Mounjaro privately, whether it is through a private clinic, pharmacy, or online provider such as Prescription Doctor.
How Will This Affect Patients?
When the price increase comes into effect, the cost of Mounjaro will go up across all private providers. For many patients, this may raise concerns about the treatment's affordability and potential future access. As a result, they could decide to look into alternative weight loss medications.
At Prescription Doctor, we are actively reviewing our Mounjaro pricing so that we can still offer the best possible value to customers. We will update you on this as soon as further information is available. Alternatively, you can switch to Wegovy now and continue your weight loss journey with minimal disruption
Wegovy
- Approved Weight Loss treatment
- Weekly injection
- Reduces risk of heart attack & stroke
Mounjaro Price Increase: Frequently Asked Questions
In this section, we’ll answer some frequently asked questions about the Mounjaro price increase.
Does the Price Increase Only Affect Mounjaro?
Yes, Mounjaro is the only weight loss medication that this increase will impact. No other treatment will be affected by the impending changes.
How Will Stocks of Mounjaro Be Affected?
There should be no real issue when it comes to Mounjaro stock levels in the future. This is because the only thing that’s changing is the price, and not the supply of the medication. However, there could be some short-term disruption as people try to secure Mounjaro ahead of the price increase. Prescription Doctor is always monitoring stock levels for all of our treatments to ensure as smooth a service as possible.
Can I Buy Multiple Mounjaro Pens Early?
Prescription Doctor currently offers a bundle of 2.5 and 5 mg Mounjaro pens. This enables you to purchase the dosage you currently need, plus the next dose in the titration schedule.
Can I Buy Mounjaro Doses I Don’t Need Yet?
You can only do this if it’s part of your normal titration schedule (as in one dose up or down). It’s not possible to skip a dose or purchase one that is not in line with your current schedule.
Will I Get the Same Side Effects on Wegovy as Mounjaro?
Because Mounjaro and Wegovy both mimic the same hormone, Wegovy side effects are similar to those experienced with Mounjaro. The main differences lie in the fact that some side effects may be more common with one medication than the other.
Can I Switch to Prescription Doctor from Another Provider?
Yes, if you are thinking about changing your weight loss treatment provider, Prescription Doctor is happy to help. We offer a comprehensive consultation service that’s designed around your needs. This includes helping you decide on the most appropriate medication, providing specialist advice throughout your journey, and regularly checking in with you to monitor progress. We’ll be with you every step of the way.
Sources
- Eli Lilly (2025): Statement: America’s leading role in biopharmaceutical innovation.
- EMC: Wegovy 0.25 mg, FlexTouch solution for injection in pre-filled pen.
- UK Government (2024): MHRA approves GLP–1 receptor agonist semaglutide to reduce risk of serious heart problems in obese or overweight adults.
- FirstWord Pharma (2025): Novo Nordisk A/S: New Wegovy® dose submitted to European Medicines Agency for approval, with 1 in 3 trial participants achieving 25% or more weight loss.
- Novo Nordisk (2025): Efficacy and Safety of Semaglutide 7.2 mg in Obesity: The STEP UP Trial.
