For Chloe, taking Mjaro weight loss
injections has been transformative
for her appearance, her health, and her
happiness. This was Chloe at 29 stone.
Her polycystic ovary syndrome made her
gain weight. On Mount Jaro, she lost
more than 10 stone in a year.
>> It's been a whirlwind, but it's been
lifechanging. And it's like I actually
did start my life a year ago.
>> But now the price of her life changing
drug is set to rise dramatically.
>> It's very difficult to think of life
without Mjaro. My worst fear is that
I've got my last jab in my fridge and
once that's gone, I don't know if I can
order another one. Um I can't just get
that money from Daire. From September
the 1st, next Monday, the price of the
weight loss drug Mangjaro is set to
increase by 170%. The wholesale price of
a month's supply of the highest dose
will rise from £122
to £330.
NHS patients won't be affected.
>> He said
>> it follows this.
>> I just paid $88
and in New York I paid $1300.
Donald Trump complaining of the high
cost of drugs in the US and putting
pressure on drug companies to align
global prices.
>> We are sorry if patients are
experiencing um an interruption.
>> This is the first time a UK boss at Eli
Liy, the drug company that makes MJRo
has answered questions on the
controversy. To what extent is the price
rise a result of political pressure from
President Trump? So it's one factor that
we take into account, but we do also
want to achieve a price that is more on
a par and more equal to what we see
across the rest of Europe. The price
rise is causing people to stockpile,
panic buy. There are risks about people
turning to the black market. Does your
company accept some responsibility for
that? And are you regretful about that?
>> We are doing all we can to maintain
patient access. Um we are concerned that
patients may try and pursue um
alternative routes for this medicine and
one of our concerns is that we have this
medicine reimbursed by NICE but the roll
out of that medicine is going to take
over a decade. So NHS delays are leading
people to look to the black market.
>> We're concerned that if patients can't
access it through the NHS then they may
look to the black market because that's
where they could find a cheaper version.
The company confirmed to ITV News that
it's proposed a deal so UKarmacies can
give £80 off the maximum price hike, but
says it can't control what they
ultimately charge their patients. Would
you or your company like to offer an
apology for the patients who are going
to be disrupted, people might be mid
treatment and they'll have to stop
taking this medication just because they
can't afford it.
>> So, we are sorry for patients who feel
that they need to make decisions based
on price. However, we are working with
the NHS. We have already worked with the
NHS to ensure that we maintain access
through the NHS and we are working with
private providers to try and maintain
patient access through private
providers. Around 1 and a half million
people in the UK use weight loss jabs.
The vast majority like Chloe through
private prescriptions. Many now face
uncertainty.
Becca, extraordinary admissions from Eli
Liy tonight. What's behind it?
Well, what I found really striking from
that interview was the clear message of
frustration from Eli Liy at the slow
roll out of Mangjaro on the NHS. The
suggestion being that if more people
could get this for free on the health
service, this dramatic price rise
wouldn't be an issue. Some might say
that sounds like passing the buck. The
government says that it is committed to
ensuring that more people have access to
these revolutionary drugs in a safe and
controlled way. But it insists that
pricing in the private market is a
matter for Eli Liy and private
providers.