Mounjaro weight-loss drug arrives in NZ - but it comes with a hefty price

A new weight-loss drug has landed here in NZ to compete with Wegovy, but before you hear about the cost - you might want to make sure you’re sitting down.

Mounjaro is a self-injected medication approved for type 2 diabetes and chronic weight management. It targets two hormones (GLP-1 and GIP) instead of one, which means bigger results than what’s already out there with the recently introduced Wegovy injections.

According to RNZ, Obesity doctor Dr Chaey Leem says patients on the top dose lost an average of 22% of their body weight in trials, compared to 15% on Wegovy.

But while that sounds like a game-changer for those who have previously been prescribed the GLP-1 shots, it’ll set you back anywhere from $430 to nearly $900 a month.

And for many Kiwis, that’s just not doable.

Leem says competition in the market might help bring prices down eventually, but we’re not there yet.

“The drugs are very expensive, and I do feel for the patients who need it the most but aren't able to afford a really great option that's available,” he told Morning Report.

So the potential is there, and Leem has patients that can genuinely benefit - if the steep price wasn’t a factor.

It’s not just about the wallet-pinching price, either. Leem hopes that with better access to treatment, the stigma around obesity could ease.

“There are risks and benefits to everything, but for the many, many patients, the benefits greatly outweigh the risks that the medications can impose,” he said.

Once we have the tools to fight it and treat patients, hopefully the stigma towards obesity goes down.

Pharmac’s manager of expert advisory, Caroline De Luca, told RNZ that no application has been received to fund Mounjaro for chronic weight management, but an application to fund it for insufficiently controlled type 2 diabetes - submitted in May 2025 - is currently under consideration.

So while it’s a win to widen the access to treatments, the reality is Mounjaro usage doesn’t just come down to prescriptions - it’s whether you can afford it.