Britain will study whether the use of a weight loss drug from Eli Lilly can encourage a return to work and help tackle the high rate of long-term illness which is taking a toll on the economy.
Health Minister Wes Streeting predicted that use of the drug – a rival to Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic – could help transform the nation’s health, after Lilly announced a £279 million investment ($365 million) in Britain as part of a flagship summit hosted by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The agreement includes “a major real-world obesity study” investigating the effectiveness of tirzepatide, marketed under the name Mounjaro in Britain.
“The long-term benefits of these drugs could be monumental in our approach to tackling obesity,” Mr Streeting wrote in an article published in the Telegraph.
“For many people, these weight loss treatments will change their lives, help them return to work and ease the workload on the national health system.
The University of Manchester will coordinate the study and collect data on “health-related quality of life and changes in participants’ employment status and sick leave”.
Earlier this month, England’s National Health Service (NHS) outlined a plan to administer the drug to almost a quarter of a million people as part of a three-year plan.
Mr Streeting said the drug would be a tool to combat obesity, but people would also need to make lifestyle changes so the public health service, already struggling after years of crisis, was not put under severe strain.
“As well as the right to access these new medicines, we must all take responsibility for adopting a healthier lifestyle,” Mr Streeting said.
“The NHS cannot always be expected to cater for unhealthy lifestyles.
($1 = 0.7646 pounds)
