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Home/Australia/Blog/Is Mounjaro on the PBS? Why Lilly said no, and what it means for diabetes and weight loss
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Is Mounjaro on the PBS? Why Lilly said no, and what it means for diabetes and weight loss

The PBAC recommended Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes in March 2026. The maker walked away over price. Here is what that leaves for people with diabetes and for weight loss.

GLP Guidebook teamPublished 12 Oct 20266 min read13 sourcesWritten from published sources

Written for Australia. Other country versions are coming.

The short answer

No. The PBAC recommended Mounjaro for adults with type 2 diabetes in March 2026, on Lilly’s fourth try. Lilly rejected the government’s price terms, and the listing process ceased. Lilly has never applied to list it for weight, so every Mounjaro script in Australia is private.

Key takeaways

  • Mounjaro is not on the PBS for any use; on 1 October 2026 the PBS said Lilly “is not proceeding” and the listing process “has ceased”.1
  • The PBAC recommended Mounjaro for adults with type 2 diabetes in March 2026, after considering it in July 2023, November 2024 and July 2025.1
  • Lilly called the government’s price conditions “unrealistic and unviable”; newsGP reported up to 450,000 people with type 2 diabetes were affected.2
  • Lilly has never asked the PBAC to list Mounjaro for weight, and said a weight listing now looked hard to secure.2,3
  • In the label’s weight trials, 25 to 29 in 100 people on Mounjaro had nausea, against about 9 in 100 on a dummy injection.4
Before you go further
  • Mounjaro is a prescription-only medicine. A doctor decides whether it fits, and nothing here is a recommendation.5
  • We show no prices and name no seller. Australian advertising rules treat prices for prescription medicines as advertising.6
On this page
  1. Is Mounjaro on the PBS for anything?
  2. What did the PBAC decide about Mounjaro for diabetes?
  3. Why did Lilly reject the PBS listing?
  4. What does this mean if you have type 2 diabetes?
  5. Could Mounjaro be subsidised for weight or sleep apnoea?
  6. Questions people ask
  7. How we researched this
  8. Sources

Is Mounjaro on the PBS for anything?

No. The PBS status page, current at 1 October 2026, says Lilly is not proceeding and “the process for listing this medicine has ceased”.1

The PBS (Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme) is the government medicines subsidy. A subsidised script costs you a capped co-payment, and the government pays the rest.7 A private script has no subsidy, so you pay the full price.

Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is approved in Australia for several uses. They are type 2 diabetes, weight management and moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnoea with obesity.4 In October 2026 the label added type 2 diabetes in children aged 10 and over who weigh at least 50 kg.4

None of these uses is subsidised. Approval by the TGA (the medicines regulator) and a PBS subsidy are separate decisions.3

What did the PBAC decide about Mounjaro for diabetes?

In March 2026 the PBAC recommended Mounjaro for adults whose type 2 diabetes is not well controlled, after three earlier looks at it.1

The PBAC is the expert committee that advises on PBS listings. It had considered tirzepatide in July 2023, November 2024 and July 2025.1 For March 2026, Lilly revised its pricing, its estimate of patient numbers and its plan for managing financial risk.1

The PBAC found the 10 mg and 15 mg strengths cost-effective. It said 5 mg “would be cost-effective with a reduced price”.1 It said a listing “would improve equity of access, particularly for patients for whom cost may be a barrier”.1

The committee also listed the benefits people reported: better daily blood glucose readings, better HbA1c and weight loss.1 Those are benefits from consumer input, not trial numbers. The label’s trial data sit next to the risks below.

RisksThe risks, in brief
  • Stomach effects. In the Australian label’s weight trials, 25 to 29 in 100 people on Mounjaro felt sick (nausea), against about 9 in 100 on a dummy injection. In the diabetes trials it was 12 to 18 in 100, against about 4 in 100.4
  • Pancreatitis (an inflamed pancreas) has been reported. The label says to stop Mounjaro if it is suspected. The typical sign is sudden, severe upper belly pain that may spread to the back.4,8
  • Low blood sugar. The risk rises when Mounjaro is taken with insulin or sulfonylurea diabetes tablets.4
  • The pill. Mounjaro may make oral contraceptives work less well. The label advises switching to a non-oral method, or adding a barrier method such as condoms, for 4 weeks after starting and after each dose increase.4
  • Pregnancy. Mounjaro is pregnancy category D in Australia and should not be used in pregnancy.4
Full detail in our side effects guide →

Why did Lilly reject the PBS listing?

Lilly said the government’s price conditions were “unrealistic and unviable”, and lower than any other reimbursed price in the world.2

newsGP reported the decision on 28 April 2026. Lilly’s Australia and New Zealand general manager said the proposed price was “significantly lower than any other reimbursed price globally”.2 He said the decision would disappoint “up to 450,000 Australians living with type 2 diabetes”.2

Each side gave a reason. Lilly compared the offer with what it is paid in other countries. The government side spoke about keeping the scheme affordable.2

The Health Minister said “robust price negotiations” are common, and are “a very big reason why we have such a successful and sustainable Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme”.2 An RACGP diabetes adviser said the government was worried about prescribing “outside of PBS guidelines”.2

What does this mean if you have type 2 diabetes?

Two GLP-1 medicines stay on the PBS for type 2 diabetes, Ozempic and Trulicity, under set criteria; Mounjaro remains private only.2,9

The PBS type 2 diabetes tables list two GLP-1 medicines: dulaglutide (Trulicity) and semaglutide (Ozempic).9 An RACGP diabetes adviser told newsGP these remain effective options “at both reasonable cost to people living with type 2 diabetes and the Government”.2

The PBS criteria for a GLP-1 are strict. They include an HbA1c above 7% and a prior SGLT2 inhibitor that didn’t work or couldn’t be used.10 Our post on Ozempic and the PBS criteria explains each step.

If you already use Mounjaro privately for diabetes, nothing about the medicine changed. Only the hoped-for subsidy did. Your GP can talk through the options; our type 2 diabetes path sets out the questions.

Start hereType 2 diabetes and GLP-1 medicines

The PBS rules, HbA1c and low blood sugar, step by step for Australia.

Open the path

Could Mounjaro be subsidised for weight or sleep apnoea?

Not soon. Lilly has never submitted Mounjaro to the PBAC for weight, and said after April 2026 that an obesity listing was hard to see.2,3

The PBAC’s November 2025 advice noted that the makers of tirzepatide and liraglutide “have not made submissions” to list them for overweight or obesity.3

Lilly’s general manager said: “it is difficult to see how a PBS listing for Mounjaro could be secured for Australians living with obesity or obesity-related disease”.2 He said Lilly would look at “potential solutions outside of the PBS”.2

We found no PBS submission for sleep apnoea either. The PBS status page lists only the type 2 diabetes submission.1 For what the sleep apnoea approval covers, see Mounjaro for sleep apnoea.

Get help now: call triple zero (000) for sudden, severe belly pain that won’t go away, with or without vomiting. It can be pancreatitis. Not sure? Call healthdirect on 1800 022 222, any time.8,11

Questions people ask

Is Mounjaro on the PBS in 2026?

No. The PBAC recommended it for type 2 diabetes in March 2026, but Lilly did not proceed and the listing process ceased.1

Will Mounjaro ever be on the PBS?

We can’t say. Lilly said the “door to a PBS listing for type 2 diabetes is now shut”, but a new submission is always possible.2

Is Mounjaro on the PBS for sleep apnoea?

No. We found no PBS submission for sleep apnoea; the only listed submission was for type 2 diabetes.1

Can a GP prescribe Mounjaro?

Yes, on a private script. newsGP reported GPs can prescribe it for weight management and for sleep apnoea, as well as diabetes.12,13

Which GLP-1s are on the PBS for diabetes?

Ozempic (semaglutide) and Trulicity (dulaglutide), for type 2 diabetes only, under set criteria.9

How we researched this

We read the PBS status page for tirzepatide, the PBAC’s GLP-1 advice, the PBS diabetes tables and the Mounjaro label on 12 October 2026. Lilly’s and the Minister’s words come from newsGP’s report of 28 April 2026.

We show no prices. Australian rules treat prices for prescription medicines as advertising, so the dollar figures in the news report are left out.

Before you move on

  • Mounjaro has no PBS subsidy for any use.
  • Ozempic and Trulicity stay on the PBS for type 2 diabetes only.
  • Ask your GP whether you meet the PBS diabetes criteria.
  • Plan for a private script if you and your doctor choose Mounjaro.
  • Know the risks, including the contraception advice.
Type 2 diabetes pathSide effectsYour options

More from the Australia blog

AUAustraliaIs Wegovy on the PBS? Who the proposed listing covers, and why it still isn’t listedAUAustraliaOzempic on the PBS: the type 2 diabetes criteria, authority scripts, and why it can’t be for weight lossAUAustraliaWhat do GLP-1 medicines cost in Australia? PBS scripts, private scripts and the costs around them
About GLP Guidebook

The monthly Australia update

An independent guide to GLP‑1 medicines. We don’t sell medicines, take drug-company money, earn commissions or link to any provider. Once a month: PBS decisions, TGA approvals and safety alerts. How we write

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Sources

  1. Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. Medicine status: tirzepatide (Mounjaro), type 2 diabetes, March 2026 PBAC meeting. Information current at 1 October 2026; page last updated 30 September 2026. Link
  2. newsGP (RACGP). Mounjaro manufacturer rejects PBS recommendation. 28 April 2026. Link
  3. Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. PBAC advice on equitable access to GLP-1 obesity treatments (November 2025 meeting, outcome published 19 December 2025). Link
  4. Eli Lilly. Mounjaro Australian Product Information, version A14.0. Date of revision 2 October 2026. Link
  5. TGA. Advertising Ozempic and GLP-1 receptor agonists is prohibited. Last updated 11 March 2025. Link
  6. TGA. Applying the Advertising Code rules: price information. Last updated 21 July 2026. Link
  7. Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. What are the current patient fees and charges? Link
  8. healthdirect. Pancreatitis. Link
  9. Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. PBS restrictions for type 2 diabetes: summary tables, April 2025. Link
  10. Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme. PBS-subsidised pharmacotherapy for type 2 diabetes (restrictions at 1 December 2024). Link
  11. healthdirect. How healthdirect can help you (triple zero and the 1800 022 222 helpline). Link
  12. newsGP (RACGP). Mounjaro expanded to include weight management. 11 September 2024. Link
  13. newsGP (RACGP). Mounjaro approved to treat sleep apnoea. 4 June 2025. Link

Last checked 12 Oct 2026 · Next review due 12 Apr 2027 · Report an error

How this post was made. Written by the GLP Guidebook team from the sources above. It’s general information, not medical advice. Talk to your GP, pharmacist or prescriber before starting, stopping or changing any medicine. We don’t sell, prescribe or recommend any brand or provider. How we write