The Majorino Weight Loss Injection Question: What UK Evidence Says

Why "majorino" leads to licensed medicines — and what NICE says about them

The term "majorino" does not correspond to any medicine name in the MHRA's register of licensed UK products. It most likely represents a phonetic near-miss for Mounjaro, the brand under which Eli Lilly markets tirzepatide for weight management and type 2 diabetes. It is a completely understandable mix-up given how many unfamiliar names circulate in this space, and it is worth setting it aside gently so the focus can shift to what is actually known.

NICE recommended tirzepatide in Technology Appraisal 1026, published in December 2024, for adults with a BMI of 35 or above and at least one weight-related health condition such as high blood pressure, dyslipidaemia or obstructive sleep apnoea. Lower BMI thresholds apply for some ethnic backgrounds under UK guidance. Semaglutide, marketed as Wegovy, holds a separate NICE recommendation (TA875) for use within specialist weight management services for up to two years. Both are available privately through regulated pharmacies for adults who do not yet meet NHS criteria or who prefer not to wait. The NICE appraisal of tirzepatide (TA1026) sets out the eligibility criteria in full.

Getting either medicine legally requires a prescription following a clinical assessment. A prescriber reviews your health history, current medicines, weight and BMI, and relevant conditions before deciding whether treatment is appropriate. The assessment is clinical, not automatic.

What the trial data found, and what it means in practice

The SURMOUNT-1 study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, followed 2,539 adults over 72 weeks. Participants taking tirzepatide at the 15mg maintenance dose lost an average of around 20–21% of body weight alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased activity. For someone weighing 110kg at the start, that translates to roughly 22–23kg. Results at lower doses were smaller but still clinically meaningful.

For semaglutide, the STEP 1 trial (68 weeks, 2.4mg weekly) reported an average reduction of around 15% of body weight. A higher 7.2mg dose of Wegovy was approved by the MHRA in early 2026, with trial data suggesting around 20.7% average weight loss over 72 weeks, narrowing the gap with tirzepatide at its highest dose.

A direct comparison published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 2025 (SURMOUNT-5) found that tirzepatide produced greater average weight reduction than semaglutide 2.4mg in adults with obesity over 72 weeks. NICE's committee noted in its TA1026 discussion that indirect comparisons also favour tirzepatide, and if you are researching tirzepatide specifically, our page on this major weight loss injection explains how it works and what to expect. Which medicine suits any individual depends on their health picture, other medicines they take and tolerability, a decision made with a prescriber, not resolved by trial averages alone. For a broader look at how weight loss injections compare, that page covers the options side by side.

Side effects, safety monitoring and when to seek help

Both tirzepatide and semaglutide share a broadly similar side-effect profile because both slow the rate at which the stomach empties and act on appetite signals in the brain. The most commonly reported effects are gastrointestinal: nausea, loose stools, constipation, indigestion and fatigue, particularly in the early weeks of treatment or after a dose increase. For most people these settle as the body adjusts.

In January 2026 the MHRA issued a Drug Safety Update highlighting acute pancreatitis as a known but infrequent risk with GLP-1 medicines. Severe stomach pain that radiates toward the back (with or without vomiting) warrants urgent medical attention and should not be waited out at home. Patients and prescribers can report suspected side effects directly through the MHRA's Yellow Card scheme. The NHS medicines page for tirzepatide lists the full side-effect profile in plain language and is a sensible bookmark for anyone starting treatment.

Tirzepatide is not recommended during pregnancy, while breastfeeding, or when actively trying to conceive. It is not licensed for anyone under 18. Women taking an oral contraceptive pill should use an additional non-oral method of contraception during the first four weeks of tirzepatide treatment and for four weeks after each dose increase, because gastric slowing may reduce pill absorption, a practical detail that catches many people off guard. Anyone researching semaglutide in particular may find our guide to this weight loss injection starting with R a useful starting point before speaking to a prescriber. Anyone using other injectable treatments alongside should discuss that combination with their prescriber before starting anything new.

Buying safely and verifying a UK pharmacy

Because these medicines attract significant demand, fake pens have appeared in the UK supply chain. In October 2025 the MHRA raided what is believed to be the first illicit UK site manufacturing counterfeit tirzepatide pens, seizing approximately 20 million doses of illegally traded weight-loss medicines worth around £45m. Some fake pens have been found to contain insulin, which can cause life-threatening hypoglycaemia in people without diabetes.

The safe route is a regulated UK pharmacy you can look up on the GPhC register before you hand over any money. Any seller offering these medicines without a prescription, through social media, or at prices dramatically below the prevailing market rate is a serious red flag. Concerns about suspect sellers can be reported via the Yellow Card scheme.

For context on how private treatment is priced and what a legitimate service includes, the page on cheap weight loss injections walks through what headline prices often leave out. At nume (sorry, at nume) every order includes the consultation, prescription, delivery and aftercare at one transparent price; current treatment pricing is shown on the treatment page. If you have questions about how the process works, the FAQs cover the most common ones, and the contact page connects you with the team directly. Our clinical team reviews every consultation personally.