Online pharmacies slash price of weight-loss jabs Wegovy and Mounjaro – as doctors warn of dangers
ONLINE pharmacies are slashing the price of weight-loss jabs Wegovy and Mounjaro.
The easing of supply pressures have allowed retailers to reduce prices, experts said.
Simple Online Pharmacy cut the price of starter doses of Mounjaro from £179 to £159 for a one-month supply in February.
It reduced that price further on Monday, to £149, and also marked down the higher Mounjaro strengths that patients take later.
Mayfair Weight Loss Clinic and London Slimming Clinic have also cut prices of either Mounjaro or Wegovy in recent months.
Professor Darrin Baines, of consultancy Intelligent Parameters, said the market was opening up after initial supply constraints.
He said: “The industry is trying to find out what its margin is on this. Pharmacies with an online business are trying to offer deals to win customers.”
Wegovy, made by Novo Nordisk, is prescribed on the NHS for obese people facing a weight-related illness, such as type 2 diabetes.
It is also available privately on prescription to people who have had an assessment and are also undergoing specialist weight management support.
The drug — originally developed for type 2 diabetes — works by mimicking a natural hormone called GLP-1, which is normally produced after nutrients are detected when we eat.
This helps suppress users’ appetites, meaning they eat less and shed the pounds.
Previous trials showed people taking the drug lost, on average, 12 per cent more of their body weight compared to people on a placebo.
Mounjaro, made by Eli Lilly and nicknamed the “King Kong” of weight loss jabs, works in a similar way and was launched in Britain in February.
A Simple Online Pharmacy spokesperson told Reuters demand for the new obesity drugs was unprecedented and still growing.
But the pharmacy added that Mounjaro’s launch had “significantly alleviated” pressure on supply chains.
There’s a lot of options out there for the best price
Tasha
Tasha, from Battle, said she is on her second month of Mounjaro injections bought through the pharmacy, but regularly scans the internet and social media for better deals.
She said: “There’s a lot of options out there for the best price. The cost-of-living crisis impacts everybody.”
She paid £183 for her four-week Mounjaro starter kit but received a £30 refund thanks to Simple’s pledge to match cheaper offers from other registered pharmacies.
That included online medical consultation and prescription services.
She said: “If they stopped the price guarantee, I would definitely switch to somewhere else.”
HEALTH WARNING
Obesity experts warned that promotions could encourage people to shop around between suppliers, meaning their consistent supervision might be put at risk.
Side-effects can include nausea and diarrhoea, which can lead to dehydration.
Patients should be watched for any sign of inflammation of the pancreas.
To qualify for access to Wegovy via the NHS, which is still appraising Mounjaro, patients need a body mass index (BMI) of at least 35 and one or more weight-related illnesses, with some exceptions.
For now, they must also go through hospital-based specialist consultations.
The NHS did not respond to a request for comment. The government said last year it had capacity to treat about 35,000 patients.
Tasha said her family doctor denied her an NHS prescription even though she meets the criteria because the specialist hospital services were not available in her area.
Professor Nick Finer, of University College London, warned that retail marketing of the new drugs could trivialise their side-effects and the medical imperative to stay on the therapy long-term.
He said: “The idea that these have become commercial consumer products like vitamins or protein supplements is quite wrong.”
He warned patients against changing medical service provider or even pausing treatment based on price.
Simple Online Pharmacy said it provides a holistic weight-care service including access to lifestyle support and clinical care.
Everything you need to know about fat jabs
What you should know about Ozempic, Wegovy, Saxenda and Mounjaro
Weight loss jabs are a hot media topic at the moment, with hundreds of success stories sharing how they helped them shed the pounds.
In March 2023, the NHS announced it would make Wegovy, a drug made by Danish firm Novo Nordisk, available on prescription to thousands of obese Brits.
It contains the drug semaglutide, which is said to have helped reality star Kim Kardashian and Twitter boss Elon Musk lose weight.
Wegovy, which helped a third of people reduce their weight by 20 per cent in trials, is now available from pharmacies like Boots.
How do they work?
The jabs work by suppressing your appetite, making you eat less calories and therefore lose weight.
To do this, an ingredient found in the fat-busting drug, known as Semaglutide, mimics the role of a natural hormone, called GLP-1.
GLP-1 is part of the signalling pathway that tells your body you have eaten, and prepares it to use the energy that comes from your food.
London GP and founder of wellgoodwellbeing.com, Dr Zoe Watson, said: “Your body naturally produces an appetite regulating hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1.
“These jabs work by regulating your appetite, which can lead to eating fewer calories and losing weight.”
Aren’t they diabetes drugs?
Semaglutide, the active drug in Wegovy, was originally sold under the name Ozempic specifically for diabetes patients.
But they started noticing it helped suppress their appetites, stopping them eating as much and helping them shed the pounds.
So Novo Nordisk developed Wegovy, which contains the same chemical but at higher doses specifically to aid weight loss.
Wegovy is not prescribed for diabetes patients.
Can I get them?
Wegovy is offered on prescription to obese adults given specialist weight loss treatment.
The NHS currently also offers a similar drug called Saxenda, or liraglutide.
Both are only available on Tier 3 and Tier 4 weight management services, which means you have to be referred to weight management clinics led by experts.
GPs can’t prescribe them on their own either, Dr Watson said.
The jabs have to be taken as part of an overall programme to help with lifestyle changes and psychological support to get the best effect from the medication prescribed.
But despite being approved for use, supply of Wegovy on the NHS has been postponed indefinitely because of a surge in worldwide demand.
Supply was also halved in the US because of the skyrocketing demand.
Are there any risks?
Like all medicines, the jabs do not come without side effects.
Around half of people taking the drug experience gut issues, including sickness, bloating, acid reflux, constipation and diarrhoea.
Dr Sarah Jarvis, GP and clinical consultant at patient.info, said: “One of the more uncommon side effects is severe acute pancreatitis, which is extremely painful and happens to one in 500 people.”
Other uncommon side effects include altered taste, kidney problems, allergic reactions, thyroid tumours, gallbladder problems and hypoglycemia.
What other options are there?
Mounjaro (brand name for tirzepatide) also came onto the market in early 2024.
Like Wegovy, tirzepatide stems from a drug originally designed to treat diabetes.
The weekly injection helped overweight people drop more than two stone in 18 months.
It is available with to order with a prescription online from pharmacies including Superdrug and LloydsPharmacy Online Doctor.
It works in a similar way to Wegovy and Saxenda, but is more effective.
Dr Mitra Dutt from LloydsPharmacy says: “Based on clinical trials, 96 per cent of people were able to lose more than five per cent of their body fat using Mounjaro. In similar trials, 84 per cent of people lost more than five per cent of their body weight on Wegovy, and 60 per cent on Saxenda.
“Mounjaro works by activating two hormonal receptors (GIP and GLP-1), which enhance insulin production, improve insulin sensitivity, and work to decrease food intake.”