Aspen eyes sub-Saharan rollout of weight-loss drug Mounjaro

South Africa’s Aspen Pharmacare is racing to secure approval for Mounjaro across sub-Saharan Africa as early as this year, aiming to ride a wave of demand for weight-loss treatments. The drug, developed by Eli Lilly, has already transformed South Africa’s GLP-1 market, which has tripled in value to $133.6 million in just 18 months. Since its late-2024 launch in South Africa, Mounjaro has captured more than half the market and is on track to surpass $78.97 million in annual sales. Aspen’s CEO announced the expansion after securing registration for the KwikPen device, positioning his company as a key manufacturing and distribution partner for global pharma giants. Currently, GLP-1 treatments remain scarce across the continent, making this rollout a crucial test of how quickly cutting-edge weight-loss drugs can reach lower-income markets.

Reuters