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Can Mounjaro be prescribed for weight loss in the UK?

Robbie Puddick
Written by

Robbie Puddick

Medically reviewed by

Fiona Moncrieff

4 min read
Last updated December 2024
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Jump to: How much does Mounjaro cost in the UK? | What is Mounjaro? | Mounjaro isn’t a magic pill | Second Nature’s Mounjaro programme

Mounjaro can be prescribed for weight loss in the UK after being approved in November 2023.

Mounjaro launched in February 2024 and is available via private prescriptions from online pharmacies and weight-loss programmes like Second Nature. 

Second Nature has launched a Mounjaro weight-loss programme that combines our clinically proven weight-loss programme with a weekly injection of Mounjaro to help silence food-related thoughts and also kickstart your weight-loss journey.

Mounjaro will also be available via prescription on the NHS in England through specialist weight management programmes. However, it’s not yet clear when these will launch with Mounjaro.

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How much does Mounjaro cost in the UK?

The cost for a private prescription of Mounjaro starts from £229 a month with Second Nature’s Mounjaro weight-loss programme.

This includes access to our award-winning weight-loss programme alongside the 1-1 support of a registered nutritionist or dietitian.

Mounjaro is available to buy online from Second Nature now if you meet our strict eligibility criteria.

What is Mounjaro?

Mounjaro is a dual-function medication for individuals living with type 2 diabetes and obesity. The drug in Mounjaro is tirzepatide.

Tirzepatide is sold under the brand name Mounjaro in the UK, or Zepbound for obesity in the U.S., and manufactured by the pharmaceutical company Eli Lily.

Tirzepatide mimics two hormones in the body: GLP-1 and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP).

When we eat food, our gut releases a hormone that helps the body regulate hunger and blood sugar levels. This hormone is called GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1).

The actions of GLP-1 are the target of Mounjaro and other medications like Wegovy, Saxenda, and Ozempic.

This class of medications are known as GLP-1 receptor activators (GLP-1s). They mimic the actions of the hormone GLP-1 to activate the GLP-1 receptors.

GLP-1s improve insulin function to lower blood sugar levels and delay gastric emptying, decreasing appetite. GLP-1s also communicate with the brain’s appetite control centre, the hypothalamus, to reduce food-seeking behaviour.

Separately from GLP-1s, the other hormone that Mounjaro mimics is called GIP.

GIP is a hormone released in response to food that helps regulate blood sugar levels and helps our fat cells ‘absorb’ more excess energy, preventing fat from being stored in the liver or pancreas.

GIP also has receptors in the brain, similar to GLP-1, and scientists believe it’s also involved in regulating appetite.

The medications that mimic GIP are known as GIP mimetics. These additional actions are the target of Mounjaro.

So, tirzepatide has a dual function that mimics two hormones in the body that support blood glucose levels and weight loss.

Mounjaro isn’t a magic pill

Weight-loss injections are designed as additional tools for weight management interventions and shouldn’t be considered lifelong medications.

Instead, they should be used to help you kickstart your weight loss and healthy journey while you commit to living a healthier lifestyle.

Consider the use of antidepressants for people living with depression. They’re not designed to cure the condition. Instead, they’re designed to allow room for therapy to treat the condition’s underlying cause.

Mounjaro, and other weight loss injections, like Ozempic and Wegovy, are similar. They can allow you to make lifestyle changes to support long-term weight loss maintenance.

Mounjaro can help silence food-related thoughts and also give you a boost of confidence with more immediate weight-loss results.

This helps to buy you the time and headspace to understand why your body may have struggled to lose weight previously, and to build new long-term healthy habits.

The core focus of our medication programmes is to calm down the feeling of food noise, lower your cravings, and allow you to build healthier habits to keep the weight off for good.

The ultimate goal is to make losing weight feel second nature.

Second Nature’s medication-supported programmes

Second Nature has two medication-supported programmes: a Wegovy weight-loss programme and a Mounjaro weight-loss programme.

If you’ve made the decision to try Wegovy or Mounjaro (assuming you’re eligible), why should you choose Second Nature over other medication providers?

For peace of mind.

Second Nature has worked with the NHS for over 6 years providing weight-loss programmes across the UK.

Whilst our Wegovy and Mounjaro weight-loss programmes are private and not currently used by the NHS, we’ve built the programmes with a focus on scientific evidence, patient safety, and data security.

We hope that our 6+ years of working with the NHS and building a track record of effective weight-loss results will give you peace of mind to give us a try.

Medication-assisted weight loss with a future focus

Start with Wegovy or Mounjaro, transition to habit-based health with our support

Mounjaro pen
Wegovy pen
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