New obesity jab that sparked diabetes row in US could get NHS green light

Tirzepatide is currently approved by regulators for type 2 diabetes – but may soon also be approved for obesity

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A new obesity jab that sparked a diabetes row in the US is now being considered for wider use by the UK health service.

Tirzepatide, from Eli Lilly and Company, is currently approved by regulators for type 2 diabetes – but may soon also be approved to treat obesity.

The weekly jab, sold under the brand name Mounjaro, is the successor to celebrity-endorsed Ozempic — a diabetes drug that shot to fame on TikTok for helping people lose weight rapidly. Now, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) is seeing whether the drug would be a good use of NHS funds.