THE AGENCY RESPONSIBLE for evaluating drug treatments in Ireland has said that a “significant price reduction” is expected for weight-loss medicine Mounjaro.
Manufacturer Eli Lilly has offered a price reduction that may mean the medicine will be deemed cost-effective, according to Michael Barry of the National Centre for Pharmacoeconomics (NCPE).
In March, Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill pointed to overspend concerns when asked if the State could fund weight-loss drugs.
Last year, the NCPE advised that the cost of reimbursing Mounjaro, a once-weekly weight-loss injection, would “not be value for money”. It estimated that the cost of adding Mounjaro to the HSE reimbursement scheme could reach €5.2 billion over the course of five years.
Speaking on RTÉ’s This Week, on Sunday, Barry said: “My understanding is that a significant price reduction has been offered. I suspect we will be saying that the drug is cost-effective or very close to it.”
He said exact figures have not yet been seen, but the medication could still cost the state between €2-3 billion over the course of five years.
Speaking to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, obesity specialist Donal O’Shea said: “I did not see this coming”.
“The cost is huge, but the effectiveness is also incredibly positive,” he said.
“It’s a big moment, and it’s come sooner than I was thinking, and it’s a big decision for the Department of Health.”
O’Shea said the medication, if used in the right way, treats obesity, which will then reduce illnesses associated with obesity, including type two diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer.
“This drug has the potential to transform the health profile of this country,” he said.
“The challenge is, you never see saved money, so you have to invest to get the benefits, and that’s a cost, and you don’t accrue the benefits in a financially visible way.”