Weight management injections

Tirzepatide (Mounjaro®) for the management of obesity

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends tirzepatide (Mounjaro®) for the management of obesity for certain patients.

Tirzepatide (also called Mounjaro®) is a weight loss medicine that makes you feel fuller for longer and therefore less hungry. It comes in the form of an injection which you inject yourself, once a week. Your doctor or nurse will show you how to use it.

Before prescribing tirzepatide (Mounjaro®), a healthcare professional will talk through the benefits and limitations, including any side effects you might get.

If tirzepatide (Mounjaro®) is recommended, you will need to eat a balanced, reduced calorie diet and take part in physical activity regularly whilst taking the medicine.

Tirzepatide (Mounjaro®) is not recommended if you are pregnant or planning to get pregnant, breastfeeding, or if you have certain health conditions.

If you’re using tirzepatide (Mounjaro®) and taking the contraceptive pill, you should use an additional method of contraception, such as a condom. This is because your body may not absorb the contraceptive pill while using tirzepatide (Mounjaro®). More information about these medicines and contraception is available in this patient leaflet.

If you’re using tirzepatide (Mounjaro®) and taking hormone replacement therapy (HRT), you should consider using patches or gels which are absorbed through the skin. This is because your body may not absorb the HRT whilst using tirzepatide (Mounjaro®). For more information about taking tirzepatide (Mounjaro®) and HRT, speak to your doctor.

Before having a surgical procedure inform your healthcare team, including the anaesthetist, of whether you’re taking liraglutide, semaglutide or tirzepatide (Mounjaro®).

When tirzepatide (Mounjaro®) should be used for weight management

NICE has recommended tirzepatide (Mounjaro®) for weight management for eligible adults living with obesity, who present with other weight-related health problems, including:

  • dyslipidaemia (abnormal fat levels in the blood)
  • hypertension (high blood pressure)
  • obstructive sleep apnoea (when your breathing stops and starts while you sleep)
  • cardiovascular disease (heart and blood vessel disease)
  • type 2 diabetes mellitus

From 23 March 2025, you may be prescribed tirzepatide (Mounjaro®) to manage your weight only if it is prescribed by a specialist weight management service, where a healthcare professional feels it is the right treatment for you. In specialist weight management services, there are various healthcare professionals, such as dieticians and psychologists, who can help support you.

There will be a phased approach to service rollout within primary care settings (for example, GP practices), and initially tirzepatide (Mounjaro®) will only be available on the NHS to those with the highest clinical need. At first, people living with obesity who have been diagnosed with 4 of the weight-related health problems listed above and a BMI of 40 or more (adjusted for ethnicity) will be eligible to access tirzepatide (Mounjaro®) through primary care settings. People who receive tirzepatide (Mounjaro®) for the management of obesity through primary care will also have access to wraparound care, which provides dietary and physical activity advice.

This approach will ensure the service is delivered safely and that the NHS in England is able to plan for an increase in numbers of people eligible for assessment for tirzepatide (Mounjaro®), whilst building skills and knowledge within the healthcare workforce. NICE will complete a review at 3 years of the initial implementation period, to determine how access will be managed and who it will be available for.

Check with your local integrated care board to check your eligibility for an assessment of whether tirzepatide (Mounjaro®) is the right treatment for you.

Tirzepatide (Mounjaro®) can also be prescribed for the management of diabetes in specific circumstances. More information can be found on the NICE website.

Semaglutide (Wegovy®) for the management of obesity

Semaglutide (also called Wegovy®) is taken once a week.

You can only take semaglutide (Wegovy®) if it’s prescribed for you by a specialist weight management service. A doctor might recommend that you take 1 of these medicines if diet and exercise changes have not worked on their own.

Before prescribing semaglutide (Wegovy®), your doctor will talk you through the benefits and limitations, including any side effects you might get.

When semaglutide should be used

You may be prescribed semaglutide (Wegovy®) if you have health problems due to your weight and you have a BMI of either:

  • 35 or more, or 32.5 or more if you’re of Asian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean origin
  • 30 to 34.9, or 27.5 to 32.4 if you’re of Asian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean origin, and you meet other criteria to be treated by a specialist weight management service

Who can take semaglutide may differ depending on which integrated care board you live in. Check with your local integrated care board to check your eligibility for an assessment of whether semaglutide is the right treatment for you.

It’s not recommended if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding or have certain health conditions.