Federal officials are targeting the blockbuster drugs as part of their ongoing initiative to lower drug costs.

Mounjaro, like other GLP-1 drugs, carries potential side effects, including nausea, vomiting, dehydration, and hypoglycaemia – especially when misused or taken alongside other diabetes treatments like insulin. This raises the likelihood of increased A&E admissions, further straining emergency services.

The U.S. government named 15 drugs that will be subject to the second round of price negotiations by Medicare, including Ozempic and Wegovy, the drugs at the center of the weight-loss craze. The Biden administration said the drugs account for $41 billion in annual Medicare spending,

Medicare officials announced plans to negotiate the prices of blockbuster diabetes and weight loss drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, further complicating big decisions the Trump administration will have to make about how to cover the medications.