Millions of obese people to be refused 'King Kong of weight loss drugs' on NHS as they face 12-year wait for rollout

5 December 2024, 06:17

Millions of obese people will face a 12-year wait before they can get access to the 'King Kong of weight loss drugs' on the NHS.

Fewer than 10% of patients in England who are eligible for Mounjaro - dubbed the "King Kong of weight loss drugs" - will initially be able to access it on the health service.

It comes after officials revealed they were prioritising people with the highest needs.

The "difficult decision" was made "in order to protect other vital NHS services", the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) said.

Mounjaro, which is also known as tirzepatide and made by Eli Lilly, has been recommended for those with a BMI of more than 35 and at least one weight-related illness.

This is estimated to account for about 3.4 million people.

To help manage demand, Nice said around 220,000 people could benefit from the drug in an initial three-year period.

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The rollout process will then be reviewed by Nice, with further guidance then expected.

Mounjaro is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonist, a family of medications that help manage blood sugar.

It was initially given the green light to help manage obesity on the NHS in June as part of draft guidance from Nice.

The once-weekly jab should be prescribed along alongside a reduced-calorie diet and exercise to help people lose weight.

Other GLP-1 agonists include semaglutide - sold under the brand names Wegovy, Ozempic and Rybelsus.

Chief medical officer at Nice Professor Jonathan Benger said: "The world will look very different in three years which is why we've taken the unprecedented decision to review the way this medicine is delivered to patients then.

"Tirzepatide and other drugs like it, such as semaglutide, will help people living with obesity to lose weight, and as a result will reduce their risk of developing heart disease or having a stroke.

"But tirzepatide is not for everybody, and only those with the highest clinical need will be treated initially.

"This means many people will have to wait. 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."

Final draft guidance published by Nice shows NHS England requested that Mounjaro is rolled out over a period of 12 years.

The watchdog recommends prioritising patients receiving care from specialist weight management services who will be able to access the drug within 90 days of the guidance being published on December 23.

Prof Benger added: "We want to help NHS England carefully manage the roll out of tirzepatide to ensure that other services are not impacted in a disproportionate way.

"Whilst the funding variation sets a maximum of 12 years, Nice will review the situation again within three years and provide further advice on how the roll-out of this medicine can be managed using the learning gained from the initial phase.

"This will ensure the roll out of tirzepatide reaches everyone who is eligible in a safe and effective way."

However, Dr Kath McCullough, NHS England's national speciality adviser for obesity, warned that weight loss jabs "are not a magic bullet".

"Obesity is one of the greatest public health issues facing the NHS and weight loss drugs, such as tirzepatide, are an important tool in helping people lose weight while also reducing the risk of other serious long-term conditions such as diabetes, strokes and heart attacks," she said.

"However, on their own, weight loss drugs are not a magic bullet. They need to be prescribed by a healthcare professional alongside programmes that help people lose weight and live healthier lives by making changes to their diet and physical activity - and it's also crucial that they are prioritised for those who need them most.

"This guidance enables the NHS to implement a phased roll out of tirzepatide to patients with the highest clinical need in a safe and effective way, while also protecting access to the NHS services that all patients rely on."