The pause highlights growing tension over drug pricing, as Lilly seeks to rebalance costs between Europe and the U.S. while fending off political pressure and tariff threats.
Eli Lilly has temporarily halted shipments of its weight-loss drug Mounjaro in the U.K. until Sept. 1, ahead of a steep price increase of up to 170%.
Allocations are in place for pharmacies and providers to prevent stockpiling and maintain patient access, Reuters reported.
The list price for a month’s supply of the highest dose is reportedly set to jump from £122 ($165) to £330 ($446), while lower doses will increase by between 45% and 138% starting from September. The hikes will not affect prices paid by the state-funded National Health Service.
Lilly said the move is part of a broader effort to align drug prices across developed markets in order to lower costs in the U.S, in line with President Donald Trump’s call for rebalancing.
“This rebalancing may be difficult, but it means the prices for medicines paid by governments and health systems need to increase in other developed markets like Europe in order to make them lower in the U.S.,” the company said.
The drugmaker also stated that the U.S. system has structural issues that need to be addressed, including “multiple cross subsidies, abuse of government programs like 340B, and insurance cost-sharing burdens for patients.”
Lilly also criticized Trump’s threatened tariffs on drugs, saying sweeping levies would increase costs and impede access.
The company called on the administration and Congress to develop narrowly tailored incentives to boost domestic manufacturing and supply chains “without sacrificing access, affordability, innovation, or American leadership.”
On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for Eli Lilly was ‘bearish’ amid ‘low’ message volume.
Eli Lilly’s stock has declined 4.3% so far in 2025.
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