Add Mounjaro tirzepatide to the PBS to Support Australians with Obesity and Related Heal
Add Mounjaro tirzepatide to the PBS to Support Australians with Obesity and Related Heal
The issue
We, the undersigned, call on the Minister for Health and Aged Care and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) to urgently list Mounjaro (tirzepatide) on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) in Australia.
Why this matters
Every day, thousands of Australians live with overlapping conditions such as:
Obesity driven by metabolic or gastrointestinal syndromes (including dumping-type syndromes) that cause constant hunger and repeated loose stools.
Reduced mobility and weight gain after joint replacements, where exercise is not possible.
Long waiting times for joint replacement surgery, leaving people with osteoarthritis unable to stay active and leading to further weight gain.
Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA), which is directly improved by weight loss.
Risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Cardiac conditions linked to obesity, which place a huge financial and resource burden on hospitals. Weight loss in obese patients is clinically proven to lower the risk of heart disease, heart failure, and other cardiac complications, easing pressure on hospital budgets and reducing preventable admissions.
Currently, the only way Australians can access Mounjaro on the PBS is if they already have type 2 diabetes. This means prevention is overlooked. By allowing access for obesity and related conditions, diabetes could be stopped in its tracks — greatly reducing the burden on the health system.
Osteoarthritis, mobility, and pain relief
For people living with severe osteoarthritis and mobility issues, Mounjaro could make a life-changing difference. By enabling weight loss, it can:
Reduce pressure on joints and decrease chronic pain.
Delay or reduce the need for surgery.
Minimise dependence on high-dose opioid medications, which many people currently rely on just to function day-to-day.
This not only improves quality of life but also reduces the risks and costs associated with long-term opioid use.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health
We also highlight the urgent need for access to Mounjaro for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, who face disproportionately high rates of type 2 diabetes, obesity, and metabolic disorders. Including tirzepatide on the PBS and supporting its access through Closing the Gap initiatives would directly address these inequalities, improve life expectancy, and reduce hospitalisation rates in Indigenous communities. This aligns with the government’s own Closing the Gap commitments to reduce the burden of chronic disease. We also call for this medicine to be fully subsidised under PBS and CTG pricing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The evidence is clear
Clinical trials (SURMOUNT program, published in the New England Journal of Medicine) prove that tirzepatide can deliver average 15–25% weight loss, reduce diabetes progression, and improve sleep apnoea symptoms.
Head-to-head data show tirzepatide is more effective than semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy) for sustained weight loss.
Cardiovascular benefit: Weight loss significantly reduces the incidence and severity of obesity-related cardiac conditions such as hypertension, coronary artery disease, and heart failure. By reducing the prevalence of these conditions, PBS access to Mounjaro would prevent thousands of avoidable hospitalisations and reduce strain on cardiology wards and emergency services.
Regulatory approval: Tirzepatide has been approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in Australia.
Health system savings: Effective weight reduction lowers the risk of diabetes, OSA, orthopaedic complications, cardiac conditions, and reduces dependence on opioid-based medications — lowering long-term costs to Medicare and the hospital system.
Access and equity
Without PBS listing, only wealthy Australians can access this life-changing medicine. Those most at risk — people with obesity-related comorbidities, those with limited mobility, and low-income households — are excluded. This is an equity issue.
The National Health Act 1953 and the National Health (Pharmaceutical Benefits) Regulations 2017 were established to ensure all Australians can access necessary medicines. Mounjaro meets this test: it is clinically effective, safe, and its use will reduce long-term health costs.
What we are asking for
We respectfully call on the PBAC and the Minister for Health to:
1. Reconsider PBS listing for Mounjaro (tirzepatide) for adults with obesity and associated comorbidities.
2. Apply concession and safety-net pricing so low-income Australians can access it.
3. Grandfather existing private users into PBS access once listed.
4. Ensure consumer consultation and transparency during PBAC consideration.
5. Ensure access is prioritised as part of the Closing the Gap program, recognising the disproportionate impact of obesity and diabetes on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, with full PBS and CTG subsidy coverage.
Personal impact statement
Many of us — or those we care for — live with multiple conditions that reinforce each other: reduced mobility after surgery, digestive syndromes causing hunger, osteoarthritis pain requiring opioids, cardiac conditions driven by obesity, and sleep apnoea that affects daily function. These lead to weight gain and worsening health. Mounjaro offers a real solution.
But at over $300–$600 per month, this medicine is out of reach. PBS listing will save lives, reduce health inequity, and relieve financial hardship for thousands of Australians.
Supporting Evidence & Attachments
To support this petition, we provide:
1. TGA AusPAR (Australian Public Assessment Report) for Mounjaro – summarising clinical data and approval.
2. PBAC Medicine Status Report – showing previous submissions for tirzepatide.
3. Key peer-reviewed studies:
SURMOUNT-1 and follow-up (New England Journal of Medicine 2022–2024).
SURMOUNT-5 head-to-head comparison vs semaglutide.
4. Cost evidence: RACGP and media reports documenting out-of-pocket costs ($395+ per month).
5. Legislation references:
National Health Act 1953 (PBS framework).
National Health (Pharmaceutical Benefits) Regulations 2017.
6. Patient testimonies (collected as signatures and comments on this petition).
Please sign and share this petition so the PBAC and Minister for Health know that Australians demand fair, affordable access to Mounjaro through the PBS.
Together, we can ensure no one is denied a life-changing treatment simply because of cost.
Evidence / Regulatory Documents
Australian Public Assessment Report (AusPAR) for Mounjaro (Tirzepatide) — TGA:
https://www.tga.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-09/auspar-mounjaro-240920.pdf
TGA Prescription Medicines Registration for Mounjaro — approved for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or overweight with comorbidities:
SURMOUNT-5 trial: “Tirzepatide as Compared with Semaglutide for the Treatment of Obesity” — NEJM:
https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMoa2416394
Head-to-head results from SURMOUNT-5 — news summary (Cardiology / Bariatric news etc.):
https://www.acc.org/Latest-in-Cardiology/Journal-Scans/2025/07/10/09/09/SURMOUNT-5
“Tirzepatide Once Weekly for the Treatment of Obesity” — 72-week trial in obesity (NEJM):
https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMoa2206038?articleTools=true
TGA’s “Mounjaro (Tirzepatide) / AusPAR” official page:
https://www.tga.gov.au/resources/auspar/mounjaro
Legislation & PBS Regulatory Framework
National Health Act 1953 — Federal Register of Legislation:
https://www.legislation.gov.au/C1953A00095/latest
National Health (Pharmaceutical Benefits) Regulations 2017:
2,475
The issue
We, the undersigned, call on the Minister for Health and Aged Care and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) to urgently list Mounjaro (tirzepatide) on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) in Australia.
Why this matters
Every day, thousands of Australians live with overlapping conditions such as:
Obesity driven by metabolic or gastrointestinal syndromes (including dumping-type syndromes) that cause constant hunger and repeated loose stools.
Reduced mobility and weight gain after joint replacements, where exercise is not possible.
Long waiting times for joint replacement surgery, leaving people with osteoarthritis unable to stay active and leading to further weight gain.
Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA), which is directly improved by weight loss.
Risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Cardiac conditions linked to obesity, which place a huge financial and resource burden on hospitals. Weight loss in obese patients is clinically proven to lower the risk of heart disease, heart failure, and other cardiac complications, easing pressure on hospital budgets and reducing preventable admissions.
Currently, the only way Australians can access Mounjaro on the PBS is if they already have type 2 diabetes. This means prevention is overlooked. By allowing access for obesity and related conditions, diabetes could be stopped in its tracks — greatly reducing the burden on the health system.
Osteoarthritis, mobility, and pain relief
For people living with severe osteoarthritis and mobility issues, Mounjaro could make a life-changing difference. By enabling weight loss, it can:
Reduce pressure on joints and decrease chronic pain.
Delay or reduce the need for surgery.
Minimise dependence on high-dose opioid medications, which many people currently rely on just to function day-to-day.
This not only improves quality of life but also reduces the risks and costs associated with long-term opioid use.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health
We also highlight the urgent need for access to Mounjaro for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, who face disproportionately high rates of type 2 diabetes, obesity, and metabolic disorders. Including tirzepatide on the PBS and supporting its access through Closing the Gap initiatives would directly address these inequalities, improve life expectancy, and reduce hospitalisation rates in Indigenous communities. This aligns with the government’s own Closing the Gap commitments to reduce the burden of chronic disease. We also call for this medicine to be fully subsidised under PBS and CTG pricing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The evidence is clear
Clinical trials (SURMOUNT program, published in the New England Journal of Medicine) prove that tirzepatide can deliver average 15–25% weight loss, reduce diabetes progression, and improve sleep apnoea symptoms.
Head-to-head data show tirzepatide is more effective than semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy) for sustained weight loss.
Cardiovascular benefit: Weight loss significantly reduces the incidence and severity of obesity-related cardiac conditions such as hypertension, coronary artery disease, and heart failure. By reducing the prevalence of these conditions, PBS access to Mounjaro would prevent thousands of avoidable hospitalisations and reduce strain on cardiology wards and emergency services.
Regulatory approval: Tirzepatide has been approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in Australia.
Health system savings: Effective weight reduction lowers the risk of diabetes, OSA, orthopaedic complications, cardiac conditions, and reduces dependence on opioid-based medications — lowering long-term costs to Medicare and the hospital system.
Access and equity
Without PBS listing, only wealthy Australians can access this life-changing medicine. Those most at risk — people with obesity-related comorbidities, those with limited mobility, and low-income households — are excluded. This is an equity issue.
The National Health Act 1953 and the National Health (Pharmaceutical Benefits) Regulations 2017 were established to ensure all Australians can access necessary medicines. Mounjaro meets this test: it is clinically effective, safe, and its use will reduce long-term health costs.
What we are asking for
We respectfully call on the PBAC and the Minister for Health to:
1. Reconsider PBS listing for Mounjaro (tirzepatide) for adults with obesity and associated comorbidities.
2. Apply concession and safety-net pricing so low-income Australians can access it.
3. Grandfather existing private users into PBS access once listed.
4. Ensure consumer consultation and transparency during PBAC consideration.
5. Ensure access is prioritised as part of the Closing the Gap program, recognising the disproportionate impact of obesity and diabetes on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, with full PBS and CTG subsidy coverage.
Personal impact statement
Many of us — or those we care for — live with multiple conditions that reinforce each other: reduced mobility after surgery, digestive syndromes causing hunger, osteoarthritis pain requiring opioids, cardiac conditions driven by obesity, and sleep apnoea that affects daily function. These lead to weight gain and worsening health. Mounjaro offers a real solution.
But at over $300–$600 per month, this medicine is out of reach. PBS listing will save lives, reduce health inequity, and relieve financial hardship for thousands of Australians.
Supporting Evidence & Attachments
To support this petition, we provide:
1. TGA AusPAR (Australian Public Assessment Report) for Mounjaro – summarising clinical data and approval.
2. PBAC Medicine Status Report – showing previous submissions for tirzepatide.
3. Key peer-reviewed studies:
SURMOUNT-1 and follow-up (New England Journal of Medicine 2022–2024).
SURMOUNT-5 head-to-head comparison vs semaglutide.
4. Cost evidence: RACGP and media reports documenting out-of-pocket costs ($395+ per month).
5. Legislation references:
National Health Act 1953 (PBS framework).
National Health (Pharmaceutical Benefits) Regulations 2017.
6. Patient testimonies (collected as signatures and comments on this petition).
Please sign and share this petition so the PBAC and Minister for Health know that Australians demand fair, affordable access to Mounjaro through the PBS.
Together, we can ensure no one is denied a life-changing treatment simply because of cost.
Evidence / Regulatory Documents
Australian Public Assessment Report (AusPAR) for Mounjaro (Tirzepatide) — TGA:
https://www.tga.gov.au/sites/default/files/2024-09/auspar-mounjaro-240920.pdf
TGA Prescription Medicines Registration for Mounjaro — approved for chronic weight management in adults with obesity or overweight with comorbidities:
SURMOUNT-5 trial: “Tirzepatide as Compared with Semaglutide for the Treatment of Obesity” — NEJM:
https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMoa2416394
Head-to-head results from SURMOUNT-5 — news summary (Cardiology / Bariatric news etc.):
https://www.acc.org/Latest-in-Cardiology/Journal-Scans/2025/07/10/09/09/SURMOUNT-5
“Tirzepatide Once Weekly for the Treatment of Obesity” — 72-week trial in obesity (NEJM):
https://www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMoa2206038?articleTools=true
TGA’s “Mounjaro (Tirzepatide) / AusPAR” official page:
https://www.tga.gov.au/resources/auspar/mounjaro
Legislation & PBS Regulatory Framework
National Health Act 1953 — Federal Register of Legislation:
https://www.legislation.gov.au/C1953A00095/latest
National Health (Pharmaceutical Benefits) Regulations 2017:
2,475
The Decision Makers
Supporter voices
Petition created on 14 September 2025