{"id":113327,"date":"2025-09-02T14:06:20","date_gmt":"2025-09-02T14:06:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/113327\/"},"modified":"2025-09-02T14:06:20","modified_gmt":"2025-09-02T14:06:20","slug":"concerns-mounjaro-users-will-turn-to-black-market-amid-170-price-surge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/113327\/","title":{"rendered":"Concerns Mounjaro users will turn to black market\u00a0amid 170% price surge"},"content":{"rendered":"

Concerns have been raised that users of a weight loss drug will turn to the black market\u00a0to avoid increased price charges.<\/p>\n

The manufacturers of Mounjaro announced in August that the UK price for the medication would increase by up to 170% from September 1.<\/p>\n

This means the wholesale price of a month\u2019s supply of the highest dose will rise from \u00a3122 to \u00a3330.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Manufacturer Eli Lilly said the increase would bring the drug\u2019s price in the UK more in line with other countries.<\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019ve tried everything\u2019<\/p>\n

Jenna Donaldson, 37, who owns a salon in Newhaven, says her busy lifestyle as a mother of two left her little time to focus on weight loss.<\/p>\n

\"JennaSTV NewsJenna has had two liposuction surgeries to help reduce weight. STV News<\/p>\n

In 2022, she had two liposuction surgeries to help reduce her weight, but she says nothing she has tried has been as effective as Mounjaro.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve tried everything\u201d, she said. \u201cI\u2019m a single parent, a working mum, and I\u2019m busy. I\u2019m quite chaotic in the gym; I just could not get into a routine of losing weight.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had personal trainers, I\u2019ve had liposuction twice, and I chose liposuction because I just felt that maybe I was meant to be the way I was, but I just needed to lose my tummy fat.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then it doesn\u2019t really change how your mind thinks about food. So, yeah, I\u2019d tried everything.\u201d<\/p>\n

After being on Mounjaro for almost a year, Jenna says the price hike has helped her decide to wean off the drug, but says that others may now turn to the black market to access the drug.<\/p>\n

\u201cFirst thought was, \u2018get your last pen and now before the price goes up\u2019. There has to come a point where you have a healthy, balanced diet for it, and do it for yourself\u201d, she added.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I\u2019m going to be okay when I come off it. Right now, I don\u2019t take an injection every weekend anymore.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m already spacing them out. I do find a niggle in my head, like, \u2018oh, my gosh. What if you put on all that weight again?\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cBut I think now, because I\u2019ve lost it, I will never let myself creep up to that again.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnybody who can\u2019t afford to start a journey on one date or now with a price increase. I think that we\u2019re going to have a black market now.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo a lot of illegal stuff\u2019s coming in and people are going to use that and they\u2019re going to end up sick, probably.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since the cost of the pen increased, manufacturers have offered a discounted deal to UK suppliers to limit the rise \u2013 but patients could still pay over \u00a3100 extra a month for the drug.<\/p>\n

\"SeharSTV NewsSehar Shahid said she saw a sharp rise in customers. STV News<\/p>\n

Sehar Shahid, who owns a 24-hour pharmacy, said she saw a surge in new patients after the price hike was announced, driven by supply shortages elsewhere.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had a huge influx of new patients who want to switch over to us, because maybe their current provider didn\u2019t have stock\u201d, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, we\u2019ve had an influx of patients, which is great for us as a business, but ultimately, it\u2019s also about supporting these new patients and giving them the right advice because a lot of them are coming to me, and perhaps were misinformed and chose dosages that weren\u2019t actually suitable for them.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve had patients who have been using vials. Apparently, it\u2019s Mounjaro, but we don\u2019t know what it is, actually.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really, really encourage patients to think twice and just stick to regulated sources.\u201d<\/p>\n

William Cawthorn, a nutritionist from Edinburgh University, said that there\u2019s a risk that those coming off the drug could regain the weight they\u2019ve lost.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne concern is who the price hikes mainly affect? Will they only affect patients taking it privately and not on the NHS? That\u2019s about 90% of the people taking it in this country.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe know that when people stop taking the drug, they will regain weight, and then you\u2019ll get a re-emergence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.\u201d<\/p>\n

STV News is now on WhatsApp<\/p>\n

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