What is Mounjaro?
Mounjaro is an injectable medicine used for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and weight management in adults, alongside a reduced-calorie diet and exercise.
Containing the active ingredient tirzepatide, the MHRA approved its use in weight loss in November 2023 after promising results in improving blood sugar control in adults with type 2 diabetes. A GIP and GLP 1 receptor agonist, tirzepatide plays a role in weight loss by making patients feel fuller for longer and controlling appetite.
Before a drug can be sold and supplied in the UK, it must first be approved by the MHRA. The MHRA tests new drugs for efficacy, safety and adverse events. The information from these studies must prove the drug is safe and effective for its intended use. If the drug's health benefits outweigh its known risks it can be approved for use.
Mounjaro was subjected to such studies and on 8th November 2023, was approved for weight loss and weight management in adults.
In the US, the FDA, their equivalent of the MHRA, has approved Mounjaro only to treat type-2 diabetes and is not currently approved as a weight loss treatment though can be prescribed off-label. Mounjaro is not indicated for use in patients with type 1 diabetes.
How Does Mounjaro (Tirzepatide) Work?
Tirzepatide works on two hormone pathways. The first is the glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) pathway. GIP is a hormone that stimulates insulin secretion to keep blood sugar levels low after eating, thereby improving blood sugar control.
The presence of fatty or high-sugar food triggers the release of this hormone. Once released, however, levels of GIP quickly decline. Tirzepatide takes over, keeping the levels of GIP high so that more insulin is released.
The other pathway it works on is the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) pathway. GLP-1 also stimulates the release of insulin. Additionally, it also acts in the brain to make you feel fuller for longer by slowing the emptying of the stomach.
Tirzepatide is the first molecule that activates both these pathways and has resulted in greater weight loss compared to trials assessing other weight loss injections such as Wegovy. It is important to note that the efficacy of Mounjaro has not been directly studied in its comparison to Wegovy.
Overall, Mounjaro helps improve glycaemic control (controlling sugar levels) by increasing insulin release and limiting the release of glucose from liver stores.
What Are The Benefits of Using Mounjaro?
Mounjaro helps control sugar levels by:
Increasing insulin release when blood sugar levels are high.
Helping the body remove excess sugar from the blood.
Preventing the liver from making and releasing too much sugar.
For diabetic patients, this is crucial, as uncontrolled high sugar levels can lead to permanent nerve damage in the hands and feet, but also in the eyes leading to eyesight problems.
Clinical trials have demonstrated the role of tirzepatide in weight management. The SURMOUNT trials tested the following:
SURMOUNT-1: Tested weight loss effects of tirzepatide in obese patients who do not have diabetes and found:
After 72 weeks of treatment, patients taking tirzepatide at doses of:
5mg - lost 15%.
10mg - lost 19.5%.
15mg lost 20.9% of body weight.
compared to just 3.1% in people in the test group taking no drug (placebo).
SURMOUNT-2: Tested the weight loss effects of 10 or 15mg of tirzepatide in patients who also have diabetes and found:
After 72 weeks of treatment, patients taking tirzepatide at:
10mg - lost 12.8%.
15mg - lost 14.7% of body weight.
compared to 3.2% with a placebo.
SURMOUNT-3: Tested weight loss effects of tirzepatide after 12 weeks with intensive lifestyle intervention and found:
An additional 21.1% mean weight loss compared to tirzepatide alone.
These trials highlight the ability of tirzepatide as a weight reduction treatment in patients with obesity with or without diabetes.
SURMOUNT-4 trials have demonstrated tirzepatide's ability to help maintain any weight loss achieved from the medication. In addition to weight loss, participants in this trial also saw improvements in:
Cholesterol.
Blood pressure.
Fasting glucose.
Fasting insulin.
Is Mounjaro Available in the UK?
The UK's medicine regulatory authority MHRA has approved Mounjaro as a weight loss treatment as of November 2023. This has now launched and is available as a weight loss aid alongside a healthy diet and regular exercise routine.
Already used as a medication to treat type-2 diabetes, Mounjaro is in the UK as a prescription weight loss treatment from pharmacies like Quick Meds - a UK registered online pharmacy.
This is subject to eligibility criteria to determine whether the medication will be safe for you to take.
Buying Mounjaro for Weight Loss in the UK
Overview of Buying Options
As with all medications, it is important to source your supply from reputable, registered suppliers. All medication in the UK is subject to clinical trials to assess if it works for its intended purpose and is safe. If it is, it will be granted a license from the MHRA, following which it will be available to purchase.
Mounjaro has been subjected to these same trials, has been granted MHRA approval and has now been launched. As it is a prescription medication, a registered prescriber (doctor/pharmacist) must prescribe this for you.
Quick Meds is a UK-registered online pharmacy that currently offers weight loss treatments such as Wegovy and Mounjaro .
Attempting to obtain Mounjaro or any other medication from non-regulated sources can be dangerous . The medication may be expired, diluted or may not contain the active ingredient it claims to contain. Additionally, it may not even be suitable for you which only a prescriber can determine.
Mounjaro can be prescribed on the NHS but also privately. Obtaining Mounjaro on the NHS would be subject to strict NHS prescribing criteria and only for those patients enrolled on a specialist weight management program.
Things to Know
Mounjaro must be prescribed for you and cannot be purchased over the counter. This means a registered prescriber must be involved in the process.
Prescription-only medicines are not suitable for everyone and are used for conditions that are best diagnosed and managed by a healthcare professional. They also carry a higher risk of serious side effects, especially if not used correctly .
For this reason, it is important to ensure you are obtaining your supply of Mounjaro from a registered pharmacy, in accordance with a valid prescription. Quick Meds offers a private prescription service that can prescribe and supply your chosen medication to most UK-based addresses.
Mounjaro is currently priced as follows:
2.5mg at £199.95
5mg at £199.95
7.5mg at £224.95
10mg at £224.95
12.5mg at £249.95
15mg at £249.95
These prices are preliminary and are subject to change as we receive further updates.
The Online Consultation
Before you can be prescribed Mounjaro, you first need to go through a consultation . This involves taking a detailed medical history. You will also importantly be asked for your up-to-date height and weight as your body mass index (BMI) is important in determining eligibility.
Your responses are reviewed by the prescriber who will provide all the information you need for your treatment. They may also ask for additional information or clarification of information already provided.
If the prescriber approves your order, they will also provide treatment-specific advice as well as lifestyle advice which is paramount to success whilst on a weight reduction medication such as Mounjaro.
Once your order has been approved, a prescription is generated which is then dispensed, packaged appropriately and sent to you via your chosen delivery method.
What Are The Potential Side Effects?
As with all medication, Mounjaro can cause side effects . These can be mild or severe. The most common side effects are:
Nausea and vomiting
Diarrhoea
Constipation
Dizziness
Other side effects include:
Hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar), especially when used with other diabetes medicines such as insulin and tablets taken for diabetes.
Abdominal pain
Dizziness
Gastroesophageal reflux disease
Hair loss
Acute pancreatitis
Fast heartbeat
An allergic reaction to Mounjaro is rare, occurring in less than 1 in every 10,000 individuals. Symptoms include swelling of the face, lips, tongue or throat.
The patient information leaflet contains more information on side effects. If you are unsure, speak to your healthcare provider.
Most side effects of Mounjaro are mild and resolve on their own after a few weeks. They usually occur when initiating treatment or when increasing the strength of your dose. If your side effects persist beyond this, speak to your healthcare provider for more information.
The following symptoms must be reported immediately to your healthcare provider:
A lump in the neck, trouble swallowing, shortness of breath and hoarseness. These are symptoms of potential thyroid cancer of which there is a risk of with Mounjaro.
Severe pain in the stomach area could indicate pancreatitis.
Feeling dizzy, light-headed, anxious or irritable can indicate low blood sugar.
Pain in the upper stomach, fever and yellowing of the skin or eyes can indicate gallbladder problems.
Who Should Not Take Mounjaro?
Mounjaro can be taken safely by most individuals who are eligible but like all medication, your medical history is important in determining this. If you suffer from or have a history of the following conditions, you cannot take Mounjaro:
Pancreatitis- symptoms include: severe pain in the abdomen that spreads to the back or chest and may feel worse when you eat, nausea, vomiting, and fever.
Gall bladder problemse.g. gallstones - symptoms include pain in your upper stomach, fever, yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice) and clay-coloured stools.
Severe allergic reaction- symptoms of this include swelling of the lips, tongue, face or throat, difficulty breathing or swallowing, severe rash or itching, fainting or feeling dizzy and a rapid heartbeat.
Pregnancy- Mounjaro must not be used in patients who are pregnant or planning a pregnancy as it can harm an unborn foetus.
Breastfeeding- It is not known if tirzepatide is passed through breast milk. Tirzepatide should be avoided unless breastfeeding can be discontinued taking into account the benefit of breastfeeding to the child and the benefit of therapy to the nursing mother.
Diabetes type 1- Patients who have type 1 diabetes and take diabetes medications are not eligible for Mounjaro. Mounjaro reduces blood sugar and there is an increased risk of hypoglycaemia if taken alongside a sulfonylurea or insulin.
Diabetic retinopathy- The rapid improvement in glucose control has been closely associated with the temporary worsening of diabetic retinopathy. If there are any changes to your vision whilst using Mounjaro, seek medical attention immediately.
Thyroid T cell tumours- symptoms include: a lump in your neck that can be felt through the skin, difficulty swallowing, changes to your voice including hoarseness, swollen lymph nodes in your neck and pain in your neck and throat.
It is unknown if Mounjaro causes thyroid cancer but as tests have shown evidence of tumours occurring in rodents, caution is exercised for its use in humans. Patients with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or Multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN2) should not be prescribed Mounjaro.
If you experience any of the symptoms above, please seek medical attention immediately.
Mounjaro should be used with caution in patients with kidney failure as the diarrhoea and vomiting caused by it may lead to dehydration, further exacerbating kidney problems. It is important for all patients to therefore ensure they have an adequate water intake.
Alternative Weight Loss Treatments
It is important to make lifestyle changes in your weight loss journey. Relying on medication alone can hinder your journey, regardless of which medication you are taking. Put simply, when your calorie intake is less than your calorie output: weight loss ensues.
A diet consisting mainly of whole, unprocessed foods is excellent at promoting weight loss. Staying away from foods high in salt and sugar reduces the chances of developing high blood pressure or diabetes.
A calorie-controlled diet is a good way to keep an eye on how many calories you are consuming. Comparing this against how many calories you are burning through intense cardiovascular exercise can help determine how much work is needed to tip the weight loss journey scale in your favour.
Traditional weight loss pills such as Orlistat works by blocking the absorption of fat that is consumed into your body.
Whilst effective, both Mounjaro and Wegovy have been shown in independent studies to be most effective at managing weight loss, though there are more studies to be carried out to draw a direct comparison .
Concerning Wegovy, again, independent studies show tirzepatide to be the slightly more effective weight loss injection though the two have not been directly compared.
Conclusion
Clinical trials have determined that Mounjaro leads to significant weight loss compared to placebo.
Though it has not been directly compared to existing weight loss injections already available such as Wegovy, due to its dual mode of action and the results of independent trials, Mounjaro has been shown to be slightly more effective in its own right, compared to placebo.
Whilst it can be used as a suitable weight loss tool in conjunction with lifestyle changes, it is important to note that it is still a high-risk medication that may not be suitable for everyone.
It is important to seek medical advice before considering medicated treatment.
For patients already using a weight loss injection, you will still need to be started on the lowest dose of Mounjaro. This is the safest approach as Mounjaro is a new drug which patients would not have used before.
FAQs About Buying Mounjaro for Weight Loss
How much is Mounjaro in the UK?
Mounjaro is currently priced between £199.95 and £249.95 with prices subject to change as more information is published
Is Mounjaro available on the NHS to help lose weight?
Mounjaro is currently available on the NHS for the treatment of Type-2 diabetes and is awaiting review for its use in obesity.
Mounjaro will be available for obesity treatment on the NHS but only under specialist NHS weight management services.
Can I get tirzepatide even if I don’t have diabetes?
Yes, you can get tirzepatide for the treatment of obesity with or without diabetes so long as you meet the eligibility criteria.
Can I get Mounjaro over the counter?
No, Mounjaro is a high-risk prescription-only medication which is only available if prescribed for you, either by a private clinic, such as Quick Meds or through an NHS prescriber for diabetes.
Can any healthcare provider prescribe Mounjaro for weight loss?
Only a registered prescriber would be able to prescribe Mounjaro for weight loss. Prescribers are required to keep up to date with their knowledge and only prescribe in areas in which they are competent.
Is tirzepatide available in the UK for weight loss?
Tirzepatide is now available in the UK for weight loss from private clinics such as Quick Meds.