Blockbuster drug Mounjaro has been approved for use by the UK drugs agency MHRA after two clinical trials showed that patients taking the drug shed between 16%-22% of their weight in little more than a year.
Though designed to help people with diabetes, demand for US giant Eli LIlly's drug has rocketed as people have turned to it to lose weight.
Celebrity endorsements for Mounjaro and other similar GLP-1 receptor agonists such as Novo Nordisk (NYSE:NVO)’s Wegovy and Ozampic, have led to shortages due to the demand.
An appetite suppressant with an active ingredient known as tirzepatide Steve Barclay, UK Health Secretary, said Mounjaro has the “potential to help thousands of people living with obesity and support those suffering from weight-related illnesses - if used alongside diet and physical activity”.
"Tackling obesity could help cut waiting lists and save the NHS billions of pounds,” he added though the drug needs to be assessed further by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) before it will be made available on the Health Service.
Wegovy was approved for the NHS in September but only for those with a medical need to lose weight.
Initially, Mounjaro, too, will mainly be available to people with weight-related health problems such as hypertension, high cholesterol or heart problems.
Potential side effects are nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting, and constipation.