Words by Isabel O’Brien
In a bid to address the growing issue of long-term sickness, the British government is set to explore whether Eli Lilly’s weight-loss drug, tirzepatide, could play a pivotal role in getting people back to work. This move comes as a response to the increasing burden of obesity-related conditions, which are straining the NHS and contributing to the high rates of workforce absenteeism.
Wes Streeting, Health Minister, is optimistic about the drug’s potential to transform the nation’s health landscape. During a recent flagship summit hosted by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Eli Lilly announced a £279 million investment in the UK, which includes a significant real-world study on the effectiveness of tirzepatide in addressing obesity.
As part of this initiative, the University of Manchester will lead a comprehensive analysis, collecting data on participants’ quality of life and monitoring changes in employment status and sick days.
Obesity has been a growing health crisis in the UK, with widespread implications for both individual well-being and economic productivity. Streeting believes that drugs like tirzepatide could be “life-changing” for many, helping to reduce the demands on the NHS and improve workforce productivity.
“For many people, these weight-loss jabs will be life-changing, help them get back to work, and ease the demands on our NHS,” Streeting wrote in an article for The Telegraph. The potential impact is enormous, with the NHS already outlining plans to administer the drug to nearly a quarter of a million people over the next three years.
However, Streeting has cautioned that these drugs alone are not a panacea. Lifestyle changes will also be necessary to ensure that the already-stretched NHS isn’t put under further strain. “Along with the rights to access these new drugs, there must remain a responsibility on us all to take healthy living more seriously,” he added. “The NHS can’t be expected to always pick up the tab for unhealthy lifestyles.”
The integration of tirzepatide into public health plans signals an important moment for the pharma industry, offering new avenues for growth and innovation in obesity treatments. These developments also highlight the critical role the industry can play in public health—such as partnering with governments for large-scale clinical studies that explore real-world applications of treatments.
