Overview

• Mounjaro, a GLP-1 receptor agonist approved for type 2 diabetes, is being used off-label by obese patients who have lost up to six stone within nine months.
• Users on TikTok report side effects ranging from nausea, diarrhoea and acid reflux to hair loss, scalp burning and skin sensitivity.
• Regulators have recorded at least 22 Mounjaro-linked deaths and nearly 400 hospitalisations up to January 2025, with about 85 fatalities suspected across all GLP-1 weight-loss injections.
• The NHS forbids unsupervised anti-obesity medicines and is rolling out Mounjaro over three years, prioritising patients with high BMI and related conditions through specialist clinics.
• The government’s proposal to allow direct pharmacy access to weight-loss jabs has raised alarm over online suppliers dispensing injections without proper medical oversight.