Multitudes of eligible recipients are allegedly being denied Mounjaro treatment within the NHS healthcare system

The rollout of Mounjaro, a promising weight loss drug, began on June 23 and is targeted towards patients with a high body mass index and other complicating illnesses such as high blood pressure, obstructive sleep apnea, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes. However, the rollout on the National Health Service (NHS) is facing significant funding issues, according to data gathered by the British Medical Journal (BMJ).

The BMJ's investigation revealed that 40 out of 42 Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) responded to their freedom of information request. The findings suggest that only nine ICBs have been allocated enough NHS funding to cover at least 70% of their eligible patients for Mounjaro, while four ICBs stated that the NHS funding they had received covered just 25% or less of their eligible patients, with Coventry and Warwickshire faring the worst.

Dr Jonathan Hazlehurst, a consultant endocrinologist, expressed concern that the rollout of Mounjaro has been "significantly underfunded". He added that ICBs in more deprived locations will have increased demand for care and need to have the budget required to address obesity inequalities. Dr Hazlehurst also highlighted the lack of communication to the public about the difficulty in rolling out and funding Mounjaro as a major problem.

The rollout of Mounjaro on the NHS is being done in a phased manner over a period of up to 12 years. However, the initial funding for year one only covers approximately 10% of the 220,000 patients NHS England aims to treat in the first three years. This means that the vast majority of patients on Mounjaro currently pay for it privately.

Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of Mounjaro, initially announced it would increase the list price of the drug by as much as 170%, which could have meant the cost of the highest dose going up from £122 to £330 per month. However, it has since been reported that the highest dose will be sold to suppliers for £247.50.

The Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, pledged to do more to prevent people being "priced out" of accessing weight-loss jabs. Professor Nicola Heslehurst, president of the Association for the Study of Obesity, stated that the current commissioning model has set up a "postcode lottery" of access to obesity care. She added that the rollout of Mounjaro has exacerbated this issue, as fewer than half of commissioning bodies in England have started prescribing the drug on the NHS in line with health service guidance.

Five ICBs included in the BMJ research said they were already considering further tightening the prescribing criteria or rationing the treatment beyond the 12-year phased plan. This raises concerns about the long-term accessibility of Mounjaro for patients who need it most.

In response, a Department of Health and Social Care spokesman stated that they expect NHS Integrated Care Boards to make drugs like Mounjaro available as part of the phased rollout. It remains to be seen how the funding situation will develop in the coming years and whether all eligible patients will have access to Mounjaro on the NHS.

Multitudes of eligible recipients are allegedly being denied Mounjaro treatment within the NHS healthcare system