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Eli Lilly and Co. is raising the list price for its obesity shot in the United Kingdom, as the pharma industry comes under pressure from President Donald Trump to increase medicine prices in Europe and lower them for Americans.
The current list price in the U.K. for Lilly’s obesity drug Mounjaro ranges from £92 ($124.89) to £122 ($165.36) a month, depending on the dose. The new list price will see this increase to between £133 ($180.29) and £330 ($447.34) from Sept. 1, with the U.S. drugmaker saying it aims to bring rates in line with other countries.
Trump sent letters to 17 of the world’s largest drugmakers earlier this month, including Lilly and Novo Nordisk A/S, insisting they lower what they charge Medicaid in the U.S. for existing drugs. He gave the companies 60 days to comply, saying he wants companies to negotiate harder with “foreign freeloading nations” who pay less for their medicines.
Lilly said the increase follows a review that looked to address pricing inconsistencies. The U.K. was one of the first countries where Mounjaro was introduced, with rates “significantly below the European average to prevent delays in NHS availability,” the company added.
The drug costs a bit over $1,000 a month in the U.S. “With changes in the environment and new clinical evidence supporting the value of Mounjaro, Lilly are now aligning the list price more consistently to ensure fair global contributions to the cost of innovation,” the company said.
The news was first reported by U.K. local media.
Affordability concerns
The higher prices raised concerns in online forums from patients who say the drug will be unaffordable for them.
Patients in the U.K. usually get most medicines on the National Health Service, or NHS, for a set prescription price of £9.90 ($13.42). However, obesity drugs have only just started to be rolled out on the NHS and the criteria for access is very stringent. It’s meant the majority of patients who access the weight-loss shots have been doing so privately.
While the list price has increased, Lilly said it is working with private providers to maintain access for patients. Separately, the company reached an agreement with the NHS to ensure continued supply and patient access.
The list price isn’t likely to be the price patients pay for the shot as Lilly negotiated commercial agreements with private providers.
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the pharmaceuticals soaking the Medicare system is a money laundering scheme brought forth primarily by the democrats to fund campaigns thru there donations. Covid scam was the biggest and best example of such
Wildly political of you. Your nimrod leader said they’re charging more in the US than overseas. He thought they’d reduce the price in the US. This move by Lilly backfired on him!
The U.K. only paying 10% (£92-126) of what I pay monthly ($1200) is a wild spread. And, I’m a LLY stockholder, but damn something is way off here. Would seem wise to raise The EU and take a haircut in the US for balance.