Patients at risk as Mounjaro price hike sparks panic buying and black-market threat

Eight in ten users of the blockbuster weight-loss jab Mounjaro say they will stop taking it when prices soar next month - prompting urgent warnings from experts that thousands could be putting their health in danger if they abruptly quit or switch to cheaper brands without medical guidance.

The survey of 2,000 patients, carried out by weight-loss drug company CheqUp, found that of the UK's 1.25 million weight-loss jab users, more than half (51%) plan to move to the cheaper Wegovy (Semaglutide), while 29% - around 326,000 people - say they will abandon treatment completely.

The findings come as the cost of Mounjaro is set to rocket by up to 170% from September 1 - taking the highest dose from £122 to £330 per month - in a move that pharmacists and doctors fear will spark a wave of unsafe treatment changes and fuel demand for dangerous counterfeit jabs on the black market.

Aaron Arman, lead pharmacist at CheqUp said: "This is a real concern for all patients who have been benefiting from this medicine. There will be panic and hysteria out there. The price changes will lead many to abruptly stopping their drug and this could be risky."

He warned patients with diabetes are particularly vulnerable: "For those taking this to control diabetes, it could lead to an abrupt lack of blood sugar control, increasing the risks associated with uncontrolled diabetes, such as eye problems, kidney problems and foot problems. For those with high blood sugar, sudden stoppage may again lead to an increase in blood sugar and risk them developing full blown diabetes."

He said even those using the jab solely for weight loss may face serious consequences.

"Stopping this drug can cause side-effects such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea," Mr Arman said. "It may lead to the rapid return of hunger and possible weight regain. For many the appetite could come back with a vengeance and they would feel ravenous and gain weight very quickly, which is stressful for the body, blood pressure, sugar levels and joints. Rapid weight gain will also affect people psychologically."

The looming price hike has already triggered a scramble to stock up before costs soar.

"We are also worried that the price change will lead to more people buying up and stockpiling the drug... This could be depriving patients who really need it as there will be a lack of supply," Mr Arman warned.

He said the price rise also increased a worrying risk of a black-market boom in unregulated weight-loss jabs. Criminal gangs have already been caught selling fake Ozempic in the UK, with some users ending up in hospital after injecting counterfeit products laced with unknown substances.

"This price hike could lead to an emergence of opportunistic unregulated cheaper alternatives on the black market, which could be dangerous as they may not be bona fide drugs, he said.
He added: "Any change in treatment should be done properly... they should not go on a dose that their body cannot cope with."

Medical experts say switching from Mounjaro, which delivers around 20% average weight loss in trials, to Wegovy (14%)