Benzinga - by Vandana Singh, Benzinga Editor.
Britain’s medical costs regulator, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), has recommended Eli Lilly And Co’s (NYSE:LLY) weight-loss drug Mounjaro for certain patients with obesity.
Unlike its stance on Novo Nordisk A/S’s (NYSE:NVO) rival drug Wegovy, NICE has not imposed a time limit on Mounjaro’s usage.
NICE’s draft guidelines suggest that Mounjaro, chemically known as tirzepatide and sold as Zepbound in the U.S., should be available for patients with a body mass index (BMI) of at least 35 and one or more weight-related health conditions, such as type 2 diabetes or heart disease.
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The recommendations indicate that, once the draft is approved, Britain’s National Health Service (NHS) could offer Mounjaro as an alternative to Wegovy.
This move marks a significant departure from the two-year usage restriction placed on Wegovy, which aligns with the duration used in Novo Nordisk’s pivotal clinical trial.
NICE’s committee determined that it was “not appropriate to include a long-term stopping rule for tirzepatide.”
However, it was recommended that discontinuation be considered if patients do not lose at least 5% of their initial weight after six months of treatment, Reuters highlighted.
Mounjaro and Wegovy are currently available privately in the UK for patients with a BMI of 30 or over or a BMI of 27 or more with an additional weight-related health issue.
The FDA noted that two doses of Mounjaro and Zepbound are expected to be in limited supply through the second quarter of this year.
NICE has also recommended Mounjaro for patients with a lower BMI from various ethnic backgrounds, including Black African and South Asian populations.
The regulator anticipates finalizing the roadmap on October 30 after a public comment period.
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Price Action: LLY shares are down 0.10% at $831.78 at the last check on Wednesday.
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