The manufacturer of the popular weight loss drug Mounjaro has paused shipments to the UK ahead of an upcoming price hike.

US pharma company Eli Lilly said the pause was to manage its supply and ensure patients maintain access to the drug ahead of the hike in September .

It added it has allocations in place for pharmacies and providers that order medicines from the company, and there were legal protections in place to prevent inappropriate stockpiling of medicines by providers.

It said it would resume UK orders from 1 September - when the price of the drug is set to go up 170%, with the highest dose of the medicine increasing from £122 to £330.

The hike comes amid White House pressure to increase the price of the drug abroad so it can be made cheaper in the US.

The US pays more for

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