Obesity treatment revolution: £85m deal brings pharmacy access

The £85 million programme from Eli Lilly and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) has been designed to look at how obese patients can access weight management care more easily (Chris Radburn/PA) Chris Radburn

The Government has joined forces with pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly in an £85 million programme designed to tackle Britain's obesity crisis. The collaboration between the maker of weight loss injection Mounjaro and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) aims to revolutionise how obese patients access treatment and care across the country.

The initiative will see the Government contribute up to £50 million in UK-wide investment, whilst Eli Lilly will provide £35 million in backing. NHS organisations can apply for funding to run pilot programmes that will test new approaches to obesity care, with successful applicants using the cash to build evidence for efficient obesity treatment in the UK.

Revolutionary access methods

The programme is designed to move beyond traditional hospital settings, allowing patients to receive care through community services, high street pharmacies and online platforms. Eligible patients could access these innovative services by summer 2026 through the streamlined system.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said these innovative approaches could see patients treated "in a matter of months". The new model represents a significant shift from conventional obesity treatment pathways, offering multiple access points for patient care.

Government backing

Streeting warned that obesity represents one of the leading causes of ill health and costs the NHS billions of pounds annually. "Yet, we now have the science, technology and knowledge to help tackle the obesity epidemic, if we seize this opportunity," he added.

"This collaboration will help patients living with obesity in a matter of months - through testing better access to weight loss services and treatments. In the long-term it will inform how we can better tackle one of the biggest modern day health challenges and, through our Plan for Change, create an NHS that is fit for the future."

Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle described the new access methods as "could be transformational for people's quality of life, and for society". He said they could free obese people from "ill-health that holds them back in daily life - while reducing the strain on our NHS".

NHS perspective

NHS England national medical director Dr Claire Fuller highlighted the financial imperative behind the collaboration. "Obesity is one of the biggest public health challenges we face and costs the NHS billions of pounds every year, so this collaboration between government and industry to drive new ways of supporting people with obesity could make a huge difference," she said.

"The NHS is already developing and rolling out a range of ways to help people to manage their weight and live healthier lives, with patients benefiting from wraparound care from local weight management teams and via online support services, but we are excited by the potential of this collaboration to accelerate efforts to tackle obesity as the NHS moves from treatment to prevention as part of the 10-Year Health Plan."

Treatment developments

Professor Rachel Batterham, senior vice president for international medical affairs at Lilly said: "The launch of this programme marks an important milestone in advancing new models of care for obesity." The announcement coincides with promising trial results for Lilly's new daily weight loss pill, orforglipron, which could offer an alternative to injections.

People taking the medication lost an average of 12.3 kilograms over 72 weeks compared with those not receiving the drug. The NHS began rolling out Mounjaro injections in June for patients with a body mass index over 40 and at least four co-morbidities.

Around 240,000 patients are expected to become eligible for the treatment over the next three years through the phased rollout programme. The initiative represents a significant step towards addressing one of Britain's most pressing public health challenges through innovative care delivery methods.

Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.