Mounjaro is the second anti-obesity drug to be approved for use in the UK

The Medical Treatments Regulator for England has approved a second drug to combat obesity, giving patients and doctors a more effective alternative to semaglutide.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) issued draft guidance on Tuesday recommending people who are very obese Tirzepatide should be prescribedwhich is marketed in Britain as Mounjaro.

Doctors can give it to people in England who have a body mass index of at least 35 and at least one weight-related comorbidity, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes or sleep apnea.

Nice’s draft guidance stated: “Clinical research shows that tirzepatide in combination with diet and exercise support is more effective than diet and exercise support alone.

“Indirect comparisons suggest it is more effective compared to semaglutide in addition to diet and exercise support.”

Semaglutide, better known as Wegovy, was the first anti-obesity drug approved by Nice. back in 2022. Novo Nordisk makes Wegovy while Mounjaro is made by Eli Lilly.

Experts said it should be easier for patients to obtain Mounjaro, and it is likely to become more widely used than Wegovy because GPs, rather than just NHS weight management services, will be able to prescribe it.

Nice’s move is likely to increase the number of people taking anti-obesity drugs.

Clinical trials have shown that tirzepatide helped users lose 22.5% of their body weight in 72 weeks, compared to 16% in 68 weeks with Wegovy.

Dr. Nerys Astbury, associate professor of nutrition and obesity at the University of Oxford, said: “The introduction of more pharmacological options to help healthcare professionals outside specialist weight management settings treat people with obesity can only be seen as a good thing .”

Nice said a four-week supply of Mounjaro pre-filled pens would cost between £92 and £122 depending on the size of the dose, but this would be a good use of NHS resources as it would reduce the chance of patients suffering . other serious health complications.

People prescribed Mounjaro can take it for as long as necessary, while Nice has imposed a two-year limit on the use of Wegovy.

Dr. Simon Cork, senior lecturer in physiology at Anglia Ruskin University, said that although Nice has set a BMI threshold of 35 for receiving Mounjaro, meaning “very few patients” will get it, other people will try to get it . like they did with Wegovy.

Professor Sir Stephen O’Rahilly, professor of clinical biochemistry and medicine at the University of Cambridge, said that given the increasing rate of dangerous weight gain, “drugs like tirzepatide will become a central part of how we help obese people live longer.” and healthier living”.

However, Nice also said doctors should stop prescribing Mounjaro if the patient has lost less than 5% of their body weight within six months.