The Government has joined forces with the pharmaceutical giant that makes weight loss jab Mounjaro in a bid to tackle obesity.
The move could see patients accessing care at pharmacies or by using online platforms.
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.
This includes through community services, in pharmacies and online.
Using these tools, eligible patients could be treated “in a matter of months”, according to Health Secretary Wes Streeting.
Under the agreement, the Government will contribute up to £50 million in UK-wide investment.
Meanwhile, Eli Lilly will back the programme with £35 million, and NHS organisations will be able to apply for a share of the funding.
Successful applicants can then use the cash to run and assess a pilot to build evidence for efficient obesity care in the UK.
Eligible patients could be able to access these innovative services by summer 2026, the Government said.
Mr Streeting warned that obesity is one of the leading causes of ill health and costs the health service billions.
“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 said new ways of accessing support “could be transformational for people’s quality of life, and for society”.
They could free obese people from “ill-health that holds them back in daily life – while reducing the strain on our NHS”, he added.
NHS England national medical director Dr Claire Fuller said: “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.
“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.”
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.”
Henry Gregg, chief executive of the National Pharmacy Association, welcomed the announcement but warned that funding should cover costs for pharmacies.
“This is a vital step forward in addressing one of the most pressing health challenges facing our country,” he said.
“It’s important that any funding made available is sufficient to cover the costs involved for pharmacies to provide wraparound care and support.
“Community pharmacies already support over 1.4 million people every month with weight management services delivered by pharmacists who are highly trained professionals providing expert, accessible care.
“Despite this, the current NHS rollout remains extremely limited, with only a small number of eligible patients receiving support for obesity with weight loss treatments, and it is vital that this changes.
“With the right funding, pharmacies can scale up delivery quickly – ensuring more people get the help they need, when and where they need it.”
News of the programme comes after Lilly published the results of a trial assessing a new daily pill for weight loss, which could offer a new and convenient alternative to jabs.
People taking orforglipron lost an average of 12.3 kilograms in 72 weeks compared with those not taking the drug.
The phased NHS roll-out of Lilly’s weight loss jab Mounjaro to patients in England started in June for patients with a body mass index (BMI) over 40 and at least four co-morbidities.
Over the next three years, about 240,000 patients are expected to be eligible for the treatment.
