Lilly raises the UK list price of Mounjaro by about 170%

Eli Lilly said on August 14, 2025, that it will raise the UK list price of Mounjaro (tirzepatide) by as much as 170%, starting September 1. The move follows pressure from President Donald Trump for drugmakers to charge more in other wealthy countries so that American prices can come down. ^[1][2]

The increase is steep. A month's supply of the highest dose will go from £122 to £330. ^[1][3] Across all dose strengths, Lilly's UK list price currently runs from about £92 (roughly $124.89) to £122 a month, and will rise to between £133 and £330. ^[2] Lilly said the same price applies to Mounjaro used for type 2 diabetes. ^[1]

The change hits people in Britain who buy the drug privately through online services and high street pharmacies — which, according to the BBC, is about nine in 10 of the roughly 1.5 million people on weight-loss drugs in the UK, more than half of whom use Mounjaro. ^[3] It does not change what the National Health Service pays, because the NHS negotiated a separate, heavily discounted rate. ^[1][3] The NHS said the list price increase "will not affect NHS commissioning of tirzepatide in England for eligible people living with obesity, based on clinical priority, or as a treatment for type 2 diabetes." ^[2]

Lilly's explanation was that it had priced the drug low in Britain at launch. "At launch, Lilly agreed to a UK list price that is significantly below the European average to prevent delays in NHS availability," the company said, adding that it is "now aligning the list price more consistently to ensure fair global contributions to the cost of innovation." ^[3] Lilly launched Mounjaro in the UK in February 2024; Novo Nordisk's Wegovy (semaglutide) has been sold there since September 2023. ^[1]

The US pricing backdrop

The list price for a month's supply of Mounjaro in the US is $1,079.77 before insurance and rebates. ^[2] Trump's May executive order revived a "most favored nation" policy that would tie some US prices to lower prices abroad, and in July he sent letters to 17 drugmakers, including Lilly, asking for steps to lower US prices by September 29. ^[2]

Lilly said the rebalancing "may be difficult, but it means the prices for medicines paid by governments and health systems need to increase in other developed markets like Europe in order to make them lower in the US." ^[2] The company also told the BBC that while it agrees costs should be shared more fairly, a most favored nation approach "was not the right answer." ^[3] On an investor call the week before, CEO David Ricks said US–European price parity was desirable long term but warned that European governments "are not signing up to pay more for drugs." ^[1]

US prescription drug prices are two to three times higher on average than in other developed nations, and up to 10 times higher than in some countries, according to RAND figures cited by CNBC. ^[2] Reuters put the gap at often nearly three times. ^[1]

Why it matters for patients

For Americans, the immediate practical effect is nothing: Lilly announced a price increase in the UK, not a price cut in the US. Whether higher European list prices actually translate into lower American prices is not established in these announcements, and the company did not name a US figure it would move to. ^[1][2]

It is also worth keeping list prices and real prices separate. A list price is set by the manufacturer before rebates and discounts. ^[1] In the UK, retailers may be able to negotiate discounts, so the effect on what private customers pay could be smaller than 170%. ^[3] One online pharmacy's medical affairs head, Dr. Sophie Dix, told the BBC her company was still working out how much of the increase would be passed on, and said the "absolute worst-case scenario" would be customers turning to the black market. ^[3] Dr. Leyla Hannbeck of the Independent Pharmacies Association said she was "shocked and very disappointed." ^[3]

What happens next

The new UK prices take effect September 1, and Lilly said it expects pricing adjustments in some other countries by that date. ^[2] Trump's letters asked drugmakers to act on US prices by September 29. ^[2] Lilly separately said it opposes planned pharmaceutical tariffs, arguing they would "raise costs, limit patient access, and undermine American leadership." ^[2] Any resulting change to US Mounjaro or Zepbound prices has not been announced in these sources.