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.
The prevalence of obesity-related illnesses is driving up absenteeism and placing additional demands on the NHS in the UK, and Health Secretary Wes Streeting is optimistic about the drug’s potential to address these interlinked problems.
“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 commented in an article for The Telegraph. The NHS is preparing to administer tirzepatide to nearly a quarter of a million people over the next three years, highlighting its potential impact.
However, Streeting cautioned that these drugs are not a complete solution, stating that lifestyle changes are also essential to avoid further burdening the NHS. “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.”
At a recent summit led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Eli Lilly announced a £279m investment in the UK, which includes a significant real-world study on tirzepatide’s effectiveness against obesity. The University of Manchester will conduct a detailed study, tracking quality of life, employment status and absenteeism among participants.
Efforts such as these underscore the vital role that the pharmaceutical industry can play in public health, particularly in working with governments on large-scale clinical trials to test the real-world effectiveness of new treatments.
