THE 'King Kong' of fat jabs will be available on the NHS, health chiefs announced today.
Mounjaro has already been rolled out to people with type 2 diabetes but will soon be given to those with severe obesity too.
The medicine, also called tirzepatide, works in a similar way to celebrity-endorsed Ozempic and Wegovy, which have been hailed as "miracle" off-label weight loss drugs.
Subject to final guidance, the once-weekly jab will be recommended for patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or above - meaning it could be made available to millions of Brits.
Patients will also need to have at least one obesity-related condition, such as type 2 diabetes, to be eligible.
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The drug will be prescribed alongside a reduced-calorie diet and exercise.
A lower BMI threshold - usually reduced by 2.5kg (5.5lb) - may be used for people from Asian, South Asian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, black African or African-Caribbean ethnic backgrounds.
Guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) said manufacturer Eli Lilly proposes that the drug should be available to those with a BMI of 30 with at least one weight-related condition.
However, the spending watchdog said "most likely cost-effectiveness estimates for this group are above the range that Nice considers an acceptable use of NHS resources".
Mounjaro would provide an alternative to Wegovy — or semaglutide — which has also been in short supply due to overwhelming demand.
Tirzepatide works by suppressing two appetite-regulating hormones, making people feel fuller for longer while also making them experience fewer food cravings.
Previous research found it helped people lose 24 per cent of their body weight.
The jab should be supplied in a four-dose pen, which provides a month's treatment when used once a week, Nice said.
It was previously only available in single doses.
Reacting to the publication of the draft guidance, Sir Stephen O'Rahilly, of the Medical Research Council Metabolic Diseases Unit at the University of Cambridge, said drugs like Mounjaro "will become a central plank of how we help people living with obesity to live longer and healthier lives".
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He added: "Given the very positive recent results of large, randomised control trials with this drug and its beneficial effects on a range of outcomes, this decision is not surprising.
"We are clearly in a new era of obesity management where, for the first time, we can have access to medicines which are effective and, though not without some side-effects, largely safe."
These drugs significantly reduce the risks of developing distressing and expensive complications
Sir Stephen O'Rahilly
The Nice recommendation on Mounjaro, hailed the "King Kong of fat jabs", comes after Wegovy was given the green light to treat obesity on the NHS last year.
The drug was launched in the UK in August and is recommended for those with a BMI of 30, or between 27 and 30 in the presence of at least one obesity-related condition.
A four-week supply of pre-filled pen injections of Mounjaro ranges from £92 for the lowest dose to £122 for the highest.
The price of Wegovy ranges from £73.25 to £175.80 per pack, with each pack containing one pen that delivers four doses.
However, Wegovy manufacturer Novo Nordisk has a commercial arrangement which makes it available on the NHS at a discount.
It is understood there is no agreement in place for Mounjaro.
Prof Sir Stephen added: "This class of injectable drug is currently expensive, providing particular challenges to a taxpayer-funded health system like the NHS.
"In the longer term, these drugs significantly reduce the risks of developing distressing and expensive complications such as type 2 diabetes, heart attacks and kidney failure but their cost provides an immediate financial challenge at a time when NHS budgets are tight."
Data from the Health Survey for England in 2020 estimates 1.4million people are morbidly obese, meaning they have a BMI of 40 or more.
