Aspen gets approval for Mounjaro pen in South Africa, stepping up Novo rivalry

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By Nqobile Dludla

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -Aspen Pharmacare, a sales agent for Eli Lilly, obtained regulatory approval to start launching the easy-to-use injector pen of the blockbuster diabetes drug Mounjaro in South Africa, stepping up competition with Novo Nordisk.

Drugmakers across the globe are looking to grab a slice of the weight-loss drugs market, which is estimated to reach at least $100 billion by the end of the decade.

Aspen launched Mounjaro in vials for Type 2 diabetes in South Africa in late December. The medication is used by some for weight-loss management.

“It’s a hit, absolutely shooting the lights out. That whole market (GLP-1) has grown by well over, I think, 130% … and Mounjaro has grown that market,” Stephen Saad told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday.

“I think within two years, this product wouldn’t surprise me if it gets to a billion rand (in sales).”

Saad said with the pens approved, the launch is imminent, which should alleviate shortages reported by users of the treatment. 

Aspen is also awaiting approval for the drug to also be used for chronic weight management, which could be imminent, Saad said. Last month, Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk introduced its weight-loss drug Wegovy in South Africa, with plans to expand Wegovy into other African markets.

Saad said Aspen is busy registering Mounjaro in countries it has licenses for across sub-Saharan Africa as well and will launch with pens.

Outside of Africa, Aspen is targeting markets where semaglutide patents are expiring from next year. Its strategy is both developing its own intellectual property (IP) and licensing or partnering on IP with licensors.

“We’re busy registering the dossier in Canada, because that’s also an early market and our dossier has passed a process called screening,” Saad said

(Reporting by Nqobile Dludla; editing by Edward Tobin)