Anish Vij
A new weight-loss pill made by the manufacturer of Mounjaro could be a new option for Brits as soon as next year.
Back in June, the NHS put in place a phased rollout of Mounjaro over a period of up to 12 years. Currently, around three million patients may be eligible for the jab under current criteria.
To get on the waiting list, people who qualify need to send full-body photos or videos of themselves, which are then reviewed by health practitioners, to assess whether they actually need weight loss jabs like Mounjaro.
They must also have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or higher, or 37.5 if they belong to a minority ethnic background, to meet the requirements for a Mounjaro prescription.
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And patients must also be suffering from four out of five of these conditions: type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart and vascular disease, high cholesterol and obstructive sleep apnoea.
However, Mounjaro's manufacturer Eli Lilly is now hoping to 'offer a convenient, once-daily pill that can be scaled globally'.
Named 'Orforglipron', it can be 'taken once per day without food and water restrictions'.
While it remains in development, initial tests showed that it 'lowered weight by an average of 10.5 per cent (22.9 lbs) compared to 2.2 per cent (5.1 lbs) with a placebo', Eli Lilly explained.
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For people who are scared of needles but want to take weight-loss drugs, it could be an ideal solution.
Kenneth Custer, executive vice president at Eli Lilly, added: "With these positive data in hand, we are moving with urgency toward global regulatory submissions to potentially meet the needs of patients who are waiting."
He said they are hoping to 'remove barriers and redefine how obesity is treated around the world'.
As reported by The Times, Patrik Jonsson, international president of Eli Lilly, insisted that the UK 'will be one of the first countries' to get it, if approved.
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"I would expect to see Orforglipron in the UK in 2026, subject to regulatory approval," he said. Meanwhile, the company said in their press release that if approved, they were 'confident in its ability to launch orforglipron worldwide without supply constraints'.
Another benefit of the pill, according to obesity expert Louis Aronne, the founder and chair emeritus of the American Board of Obesity Medicine, is that it 'could help health care providers expand treatment options for patients who prefer oral therapies without compromising clinical results'.
But when it comes to the future of weight-loss drugs, Jonsson revealed that the 'dream would be to actually create a once-and-done treatment on obesity'.
"You get one shot and then you’re taken care of for the rest of your life," the president explained.
LADbible Group has contacted Mounjaro's manufacturer, Eli Lilly, for additional comment.