Mounjaro, Eli Lilly's (NYSE:LLY) rival weightloss drug to Wegovy and Ozempic, is to be made available in the UK after receiving the regulatory green light.
The UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approved a four-dose version of Mounjaro KwikPen to treat adults with type 2 diabetes and for weight management in obese and heavily overweight adults who also have weight-related health problems such as prediabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart problems.
The medicine, which has been available as a prescription in the US since 2022, is to be used together with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, the MHRA stipulated.
“The public health importance of safe and effective treatments to help manage diabetes and obesity, which can have a significant impact on people’s health, is clear," said MHRA director Julian Beach.
“This approval enables access to the approved Mounjaro pen in a more convenient presentation of a month’s treatment, of one dose per week.”
The active ingredient in Mounjaro is tirzepatide, which helps to reduce sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes only when the levels of sugar are high, while also regulating appetite so people feel full and experience fewer food cravings.
This is different from semaglutide, the active ingredient of Novo Nordisk's (NYSE:NVO) Wegovy injection, and danuglipron, a rival pill product made by Pfizer Inc (NYSE:PFE).
All three work by targeting glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptors, which work to reduce food intake and increase insulin sensitivity.
Studies showed that all participants who received tirzepatide showed significant decreases in fasting glucose levels compared to either placebo or other options, including semaglutide or insulin for up to one year, while use in obesity saw significant reductions in body weight.