Why did Mounjaro's price go up?
Eli Lilly raised the UK list price of Mounjaro (tirzepatide) on 1 September 2025, from £92–£122 to £133–£330 a pen. Lilly said its UK launch price was well below the European average and that prices in Europe must rise so US prices can fall. The price the NHS pays was not affected.
- Mounjaro, like every GLP‑1 medicine, is a prescription-only medicine in the UK. A healthcare professional must assess you before it can be prescribed.1
- Prices here are list prices from official sources, before VAT. We never quote a seller's price, and we don't name or rank sellers.
- To spot fake pens and illegal sellers, see Is it safe to buy Mounjaro online in the UK? The risks are in Guide 5: Side effects and risks.
- Nothing here promises any result, and nothing here is for sale.
How much did Mounjaro's list price rise?
From 1 September 2025, Lilly's list price for a 4-dose KwikPen rose from £92–£122 to £133–£330, depending on the strength.
Lilly confirmed the change on 15 August 2025.2 The new prices before VAT are £133 (2.5 mg), £180 (5 mg), £255 (7.5 and 10 mg) and £330 (12.5 and 15 mg).3 At the top of the range, £122 to £330 is a rise of about 170%, by our arithmetic.
At 15 mg, a year of 13 pens went from about £1,586 to £4,290 at list price. That assumes the old top price applied to 15 mg, and is also our arithmetic. Every strength is in How much is Mounjaro in the UK?
Medicine and prescription charges, in £. Free, no sign-up.
What reasons did Lilly give?
Lilly said it set a low UK launch price to avoid delaying NHS access, and now wanted prices more in line with other rich countries.
Lilly said the rise aims to "address pricing inconsistencies compared to other developed countries, including in Europe". The UK launch price was "significantly below the European average to prevent delays in NHS availability".2
The rise followed complaints by US president Donald Trump about US drug prices. On 14 August 2025, Lilly said prices "need to increase in other developed markets like Europe in order to make them lower in the [United States]".2
Did the rise change what NHS patients pay?
No. The NHS buys Mounjaro under a separate, confidential deal, and the government said NHS commissioning was "unaffected by the change in list price".
NHS patients still pay £9.90 an item in England and nothing in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.2,4,5,6,7 NICE added the new list prices and a commercial access agreement to its guidance on 1 September 2025.3
The government said private pricing "is a matter for Lilly and for private providers". The Royal Pharmaceutical Society advised strongly against stockpiling pens before the rise.2 The full cost picture is in How much Mounjaro and Wegovy cost in the UK and Guide 6.
- Stomach effects are very common. In the weight trials on the UK Mounjaro label, 25 to 29 in 100 people on 5 mg to 15 mg felt sick (nausea), against 9 in 100 on a dummy injection.8
- Gallstones are common (1 in 10 to 1 in 100) in the weight trials, and a swollen pancreas (acute pancreatitis) is uncommon (1 in 100 to 1 in 1,000), on the UK Mounjaro label. The MHRA strengthened the pancreatitis warning in January 2026.8,9
- Pregnancy and the pill. The MHRA says to stop Mounjaro at least 1 month before trying for a baby. It can make the contraceptive pill less reliable for 4 weeks after starting and after each dose rise.1
- Operations. Tell your anaesthetist you take it, because it slows how fast your stomach empties.1
Read the full picture
Related questions
Sources
- MHRA. GLP-1 medicines for weight loss and diabetes: what you need to know. Guidance, published 5 Jun 2025, last updated 5 Feb 2026. gov.uk
- The Pharmaceutical Journal. UK's biggest online pharmacy freezes Mounjaro price amid reports of 'stockpiling', 18 Aug 2025 (Lilly and DHSC statements; list prices from 1 Sep 2025; previous prices "£92 to £122"; primary-care prescribing from 23 Jun 2025). Trade press. pharmaceutical-journal.com
- NICE. TA1026, section 2: marketing authorisation (2.1); list prices "excluding VAT; company communication" for a 4-week supply: £133.00 (2.5 mg), £180.00 (5 mg), £255.00 (7.5 and 10 mg), £330.00 (12.5 and 15 mg) (2.3); confidential commercial arrangement (2.4). Price list updated 1 Sep 2025. nice.org.uk
- NHS Business Services Authority. NHS Prescription Prepayment Certificate (PPC): "The prescription charge in England is £9.90"; PPC £32.05 for 3 months, £114.50 for 12 months. nhsbsa.nhs.uk
- NHS inform (Scotland). Prescription charges and exemptions: "Prescriptions in Scotland are free"; English prescription forms are charged "at the current English rate of £9.90 per item". nhsinform.scot
- Welsh Government. Free prescriptions: "If you are registered with a GP in Wales you are entitled to free prescriptions from a pharmacist in Wales". gov.wales
- nidirect (Northern Ireland). Help with health costs: "All prescriptions dispensed in Northern Ireland are free of charge for everyone". nidirect.gov.uk
- Eli Lilly. Mounjaro KwikPen summary of product characteristics (UK SmPC), date of revision 29 Aug 2026, sections 4.1, 4.2, 4.4, 4.5, 4.6 and 4.8 (Table 1). UK label. medicines.org.uk (emc)
- MHRA. MHRA updates guidance for GLP-1 prescribers and patients (acute pancreatitis). Press release, 29 Jan 2026. gov.uk
Last checked 12 Oct 2026 · Next review due 12 Apr 2027 · Report an error
How this answer was made. Written by the GLP Guidebook team from the sources above, all checked on 12 Oct 2026. Prices are official list prices or NHS charges, never a seller's price, and we don't name or rank sellers. Figures marked as our arithmetic are worked out from those sources. It's general information, not medical advice. Talk to a GP, pharmacist or other qualified prescriber before starting, stopping or changing any medicine. How we write