Mounjaro now available for weight loss – but it comes with high price tag

Mounjaro is now available in NZ, offering greater weight loss results but at a higher monthly cost than Wegovy. Photo / Getty Images

By Morning Report of RNZ

A newly approved weight loss drug could improve competition but will still be costly for patients, an obesity doctor says.

Mounjaro is a self-administered injection and received regulatory approval for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and chronic weight management in December last year.

It is now available by prescription in some New Zealand pharmacies.

Obesity doctor Dr Chaey Leem told Morning Report the drug targeted two hormones whereas Wegovy, a weight-loss medication already on the market, only targeted one.

“You can kind of think of the medication unlocking two doors instead of one in your body’s metabolism,” he said.

Leem said that increased the drug’s efficacy.

“At the maximum doses of Mounjaro, patients on average have lost 22% of the initial weight in the trial, compared to 15% on the maximum dose of Wegovy.”

The cost of the drug was a barrier for some patients, he said.

Mounjaro is pricier than Wegovy, ranging from $430 to nearly $900 a month.

“Competition will hopefully help improve the situation for many patients, however, there still might be a long way to go,” Leem said.

“The drugs are very expensive, and I do feel for the patients who need it the most but aren’t able to afford a really great option that’s available.”

Leem said there was a lot of stigma around obesity, which he hoped could be reduced through treatment.

“Once we have the tools to fight them and treat patients, hopefully the stigma towards obesity goes down, and in turn we can look into other options like bariatric surgery, which is usually much more cost-effective from a public health perspective,” he said.

Leem had patients he believed would benefit from the new medication, if price weren’t a factor.

“There’s risks and benefits to everything, but for the many, many patients, the benefits greatly outweigh the risks that the medications can impose.”

– RNZ