Online searches for Eli Lilly and Co's (NYSE:LLY) weight loss and diabetes drug Mounjaro have soared more than four-fold since the NHS received approval for weight loss programmes last week.
UK drug regulator NICE gave the green light for it to be prescribed alongside diet and exercise advice from March 2025, but said a full roll-out to everyone who wants it will take twelve years.
That is due to fears that demand for the drug will be so high it will overwhelm GP surgeries, NICE said in an unprecedented move for a new treatment.
Online searches for Mounjaro have already jumped by 302% since Thursday said weight-loss programme Second Nature, with weight-loss searches up by 275%.
Mounjaro has been recommended for people with a body mass index (BMI) of more than 35 and at least one weight-related illness.
According to the 2022 health survey for England, that would mean around two-thirds of the UK population.
Initially, NICE estimates Mounjaro will be available to 220,000 individuals from next March, but how and the criteria for a wider roll-out has not been revealed.
Mike Gibbs, co-founder of Second Nature, said, "This upcoming weight-loss drug rollout could significantly impact the lives of many who need it.
"With obesity levels rising and the NHS stretched, weight-loss injections like Mounjaro are considered as potential game-changers.
He added, however, that "Weight-loss injections are not a quick-fix solution, and they may not be effective for everyone.”
Mounjaro, or tirzepatide is one of a group of drugs known as GLP-1 receptors that make a person feel fuller so they eat less.
In trials, users have lost up to a fifth of their body weight.
Rival weight loss drug Wegovy, produced by Novo Nordisk (CSE:NOVOb) (NYSE:NVO), has already been available on the NHS since late 2023 for people who meet the criteria
Mounjaro, which is injected weekly, will cost the NHS £122 per patient per month for the maximum dose with Wegovy reportedly costing around £160 a month.