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Lilly has temporarily halted UK shipments of Mounjaro until Sept. 1, when new list prices take effect.
With an increase in price forthcoming, Eli Lilly has decided to temporarily pause UK shipments of Mounjaro1—the company’s branded form of tirzepatide that is approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in adults—until Sept. 1.
This signifies that pharmacies will not be able to restock the medication until Sept. 1, the same day that new list prices for Mounjaro will be taking effect. Lilly has been on the record as projecting that the UK list price could increase by as much as 170%.2,3
The concern among industry stakeholders is that stockpiling will ensue, but the company has since noted that safeguards are in place to restrict improper medicine stockpiling by providers.
"There are legal protections in place, enforced by the [UK's Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency], to prevent inappropriate stockpiling of medicines by providers,” said a Lilly spokesperson.2 “We encourage patients to only order based on their current treatment plan, to reduce the risk of localized disruption."
Specifically, two wholesalers in the UK were reportedly directed to pause the shipment of the dual GIP/GLP-1 agonist: Phoenix Medical Supplies and AAH. Once Sept. 1 hits, the price for one month's supply of the highest dose of Mounjaro will rise from $164.81 to $445.80 (£122 to £330).
Late last month, President Trump issued letters to 17 of the largest pharmaceutical companies—including Eli Lilly—expressing urgency for making changes along the drug pricing front.3
The letters—which all have the same wording—stem from an executive order (EO) he enacted in May that essentially proclaimed that pharma companies need to treat the United States as a most-favored nation (MFN) as it pertains to drug pricing. The EO notes that US drug prices need to be less than or equal to the drug’s lowest price in other nations, as a way of establishing fairness.
This includes extending MFN pricing to Medicaid; guaranteeing MFN pricing for newly-launched drugs; returning increased revenues abroad to American patients and taxpayers; and providing for direct purchasing at MFN pricing. The companies who received a letter have until Sept. 29 to comply.
Lilly has been in full support of this Trump initiative, saying in a statement5 that it “supports the administration’s goal of keeping the United States the world’s leading destination for biopharmaceutical research and manufacturing, and the objective of more fairly sharing the costs of breakthrough medical research across developed countries. This 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.”
Part of keeping the US a manufacturing hub is Trump’s enforcement of tariffs, which are intended to encourage the reshoring of production. Many companies have begun shifting their efforts domestically—most recently Genentech—who broke ground on its newest manufacturing plant in Holly Springs, NC.6 The 700,000 square-foot plant will be handling production of the company’s future portfolio of metabolic meds, featuring obesity treatments. It will be implementing modern biomanufacturing tech, along with advanced automation and digital services. The future facility is also expected to increase production capacity for the company’s manufacturing network, while boosting supply chain resilience.
More than 1,500 construction jobs will be added during the process’ development phase, along with more than 400 local manufacturing jobs once the site becomes operational in 2029.
References
1. Eli Lilly Temporarily Halts UK Shipments of Weight-Loss Drug Mounjaro. Reuters. August 27, 2025. Accessed August 29, 2025. https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/eli-lilly-temporarily-halts-uk-shipments-weight-loss-drug-mounjaro-2025-08-27/
2. Bratuilic A. Stockpiling Frenzy Prompts Lilly to Suspend UK Mounjaro Supply. FirstWord Pharma. August 28, 2025. Accessed August 29, 2025. https://firstwordpharma.com/story/5992895
3. Saraceno N. Trump’s MFN Drug Pricing Push Targets 17 Big Pharma Companies, Spurs Global Industry Response. Pharmaceutical Commerce. August 1, 2025. Accessed August 29, 2025. https://www.pharmaceuticalcommerce.com/view/trump--mfn-drug-pricing-17-big-pharma-companies-spurs-global-industry-response
4. Kansteiner F. Eli Lilly Pauses UK Mounjaro Orders Ahead of Price Hike, Citing Stockpiling Concerns. Fierce Pharma. August 28, 2025. Accessed August 29, 2025. https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/eli-lilly-pauses-uk-mounjaro-orders-ahead-september-price-hike-citing-stockpiling-concerns
5. Statement: America’s Leading Role in Biopharmaceutical Innovation. Eli Lilly and Company. August 14, 2025. Accessed August 29, 2025. https://investor.lilly.com/news-releases/news-release-details/statement-americas-leading-role-biopharmaceutical-innovation
6. Saraceno N. Genentech Breaks Ground on $700M North Carolina Manufacturing Facility. Pharmaceutical Commerce. August 26, 2025. Accessed August 29, 2025. https://www.pharmaceuticalcommerce.com/view/genentech-breaks-ground-700m-north-carolina-manufacturing-facility
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