2 hours ago
4 
I was despondent when I read the news last month that the price of the weight loss drug, Mounjaro, could be increased by as much as 170%.
Explaining the decision behind the hike, Eli Lilly – the company behind the drug – said the move was necessary to be more in line with prices in the US or the rest of Europe. It would come into effect from September 1.
As a Mounjaro user – who used to pay £99 but will now have to pay almost £200 more – I’m calling for this decision to be immediately reversed so that the drug is financially accessible to those of us who have chosen to use it to improve our health.
In recent years, I’ve battled with my weight and health due to multiple orthopaedic surgeries, confining me to a wheelchair. My mobility will never be perfect and I was told that if I needed more surgery, I’d need to lose weight first.
So I had previously tried to access weight loss support via the NHS, but my options were limited. I wasn’t overweight enough for bariatric surgery and I’d had a bad experience with Orlistat, which reduces fat absorption from food.
So when I first heard about weight loss injectable medications in December last year, this seemed like an answer.
I ended up going down the rabbit hole of researching the different brands: Ozempic, Saxenda, Wegovy, and Mounjaro. And the results were staggering.
There was Sharon and Kelly Osbourne, Whoopi Goldberg, and Rebel Wilson. Even some of my closest friends had been using it and it had really helped them.
I only wanted the best, but the steep price tag of up to £204 for the higher doses of Mounjaro put me off.
Then I started seeing ads for a study, which was designed to explore the impacts of these weight loss injectable medications on women’s health. As someone who has faced health inequalities because of my gender, I wanted to be a part of that.
It offered a complimentary side-effect pack and there was a Facebook group of other study participants that you could join for peer support, but the best part was the subsidised price – just £99.
The process was simple: complete a form, take the blood test, and await approval. It was a matter of days after that my first prescription was issued – I took my first dose around the second week in January.
The first week wasn’t pleasant. I struggled with maintaining hydration, as well as side effects including constipation, abdominal cramps, nausea, and heartburn. Thankfully the side effects pack helped.
I had to gradually increase my dosage for the medication to continue to be effective, so the side effects would flare up again.
But the positive effects have been brilliant. On top of shedding 66lbs (4 stone 12 lbs), I’m more confident, happy, mobile, and I’ve even seen positive changes in menstrual cycle regulation!
For the first time in a decade, I genuinely feel well. Then came the news last month of the price hike and my mood came crashing down.
Everyone I knew on the drug was panicking. We had signed up for a locked-in discounted price on a 12-month clinical study – at £99 per month. Surely the prices would remain locked?
A few days later, an email from the company running the study pinged in my inbox. It read: ‘After tirelessly exhausting all possible avenues, Eli Lilly has refused to work with providers… and is forcing an immediate increase in Mounjaro’s price.’
The email went on to say that we could stay on Mounjaro, but it would be £279 to £319 a month, depending on our dose. Or we could switch to a rival brand, Wegovy, at the locked-in price.
The problem is: I have minimal information on what switching to Wegovy will mean for me medically. As it currently stands, I am 18lbs away from my target weight; the end is in sight.
I’ve only just stopped having side effects and I don’t like the idea of switching drugs in case they come back. So I’ve made a decision: I’m staying on Mounjaro for now, costing £279 a month.
I hope once I get to my target – which will likely be late October – I will be able to move to Wegovy for the maintenance phase, which is where my dose will be adjusted to maintain my progress rather than lose more, until I taper off.
So that’s two months where I’ll be paying £279 instead of £99. That means it’s an extra £360 in total.
I’m already paying £220 a month for my ADHD medication because I was diagnosed through a private provider. And as a working parent with bills to pay, I don’t have money to burn, so I’m feeling lost, unsettled, and despondent.
In the short term, I’ll be putting the additional costs on my credit card, but as a self-employed person with ADHD who finds money management challenging, I’m reviewing my finances to make sure this is sustainable.
I’m gratefully self-employed supporting business owners with Autism and ADHD to run their own businesses, and so I have control over what I’m paid, and if there is scope to increase my withdrawals from my businesses, I will cover the gap with that.
My main concern is that finances will force many people’s decisions. I’ve seen so many people leaving the study, or switching to Wegovy reluctantly, out of fear of losing progress.
Health – and the medications we need to be healthy, whatever that looks like for us individually – should not be seen or priced as a luxury. I’m disappointed that Eli Lilly made this decision.
Estimates suggest that up to 750,000 people in the UK are taking Mounjaro, and while I cannot speak for all of them, I know many of us feel lost and uncertain about our futures as a direct result of this price hike.
It is my hope that in the coming days or weeks, changes will be made to make the medicine once again more financially accessible to those who need it. If not, I dread to think what will happen.
Do you have a story you’d like to share? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
Share your views in the comments below.
Bengali (Bangladesh) · 
English (United States) ·