Can you get Mounjaro (tirzepatide) on the NHS in 2025?
NICE has published its final guidelines on Mounjaro for NHS England. Learn what this means for you.
Mounjaro is a clinically proven injectable weight loss medication with the active ingredient tirzepatide. In a famous trial, Mounjaro users lost an average of 21% of their starting body weight over 72 weeks.
The drug is also used to treat people with type 2 diabetes. As a diabetes treatment, Mounjaro helps users manage their blood sugar levels.
If you're interested in Mounjaro, you might be wondering whether you can get tirzepatide on the NHS. Has anything changed so far in 2025?
At the time of writing (2 January 2025), the situation is the same as last year. You can access Mounjaro through the NHS in England and Wales, but only as a treatment for diabetes. It's not yet available through NHS England as a weight loss treatment for people living with obesity.
However, new developments have emerged regarding an NHS England rollout of the drug.
Good news or bad news? It's a mixed bag. Let's investigate.
The good news: NICE publishes final draft guidance for Mounjaro
The status of Mounjaro's NHS availability has been tied up in a consultation process, overseen by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). This is the official body that decides how medicines should be prescribed by the NHS in England and Wales.
On 23 December 2024, NICE published its final draft guidance on Mounjaro, recommending that the drug be made available from March 2025.
This is good news for the millions of patients who could benefit from the drug. However, every silver lining has a cloud…
The bad news: it could take more than a decade to get your hands on it
There was a surprise wrapped up in NICE's announcement.
NHS England requested 12 years to roll out the medication – and the NICE guidelines allowed for it.
As the BBC noted, this is an 'unprecedented' length of time for a drug rollout. However, NICE says it made the decision with the NHS's best interests in mind.
NICE's chief medical officer, Professor Jonathan Benger, explained: 'We have had to make this difficult decision in order to protect other vital NHS services and also to test ways of delivering this new generation of weight loss medications'.
While 12 years is the maximum length for the rollout, Professor Benger pointed out that it may take less time. However, we won't get an update for at least three years.
'NICE will review the situation again within three years and provide further advice on how the rollout of this medicine can be managed using the learning gained from the initial phase', he said.
And even then, the drug may not become available to all who could benefit from it.
Mounjaro will be offered to those with a BMI of 35 or greater and one weight-related health condition – at least to begin with.
NICE estimates there are 3.4 million people who are eligible for the drug under these guidelines. However, this falls well short of the total number of people who are living with obesity in England and Wales.
The Medicines and Health Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has approved Mounjaro for people with a BMI of 30 or greater. However, NICE raised the threshold to safeguard NHS cash flow.
As stated in NICE's final guidelines, 'The most likely cost-effectiveness estimates for adults with an initial BMI of at least 35 kg/m² and at least one weight-related comorbidity are within the range that NICE considers an acceptable use of NHS resources'.
What's the situation in Scotland?
Mounjaro is available on the NHS in Scotland for the treatment of obesity.
It can be offered along with diet and exercise advice for people who meet the following criteria:
- They are living with obesity (they have a BMI of 30 or greater).
- They have at least one weight-related health condition.
Is there another way to get Mounjaro?
Yes. The MHRA has approved Mounjaro as a weight loss treatment for people with a BMI of 30 or greater.
This means private healthcare providers can offer the drug – and they're not bound by NICE's rather more stringent guidelines.
Why not take five minutes to learn about SemaPen's Mounjaro programme? It's designed by UK obesity experts and is available to all who meet the MHRA's criteria.
With SemaPen, you get:
- The dose you need, automatically and discreetly delivered on subscription
- Tailored, ongoing advice and support at no extra cost
- A set of smart scales so we can track your progress in the cloud
- Access to bespoke diet advice and recipes through the SemaPen app
- Access to our friendly experts, 24/7
- Your money back if you don't lose at least 5% of your starting weight
Learn more about Mounjaro injections for weight loss. Or get started by taking our free online consultation.
Sources and small print
1. Jastreboff, A.M. et al. (2022) "Tirzepatide Once Weekly for the Treatment of Obesity" New England Journal of Medicine, 387(3) https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2206038
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