Drugmaker Aspen targets Mounjaro approval in sub-Saharan Africa this year

By Nqobile Dludla

JOHANNESBURG, March ‌4 (Reuters) - Aspen Pharmacare ​aims ​to secure sub‑Saharan African approval for Eli Lilly's blockbuster weight‑loss drug Mounjaro as early as this year, its CEO said ‌on Wednesday, capitalising on soaring regional demand for obesity treatments.

South ⁠Africa-based Aspen’s push to register Mounjaro across the region signals its bid to become ‌a key manufacturing and distribution ‌partner for global drugmakers eyeing one of the last major untapped markets for GLP‑1 weight‑loss treatments.

GLP‑1 treatments are not yet widely available ​in the continent, offering both growth potential and a test of how quickly such drugs can reach lower‑income countries.

The registration in South ⁠Africa "of the KwikPen (a pre-filled multi-injection device) gave us an opportunity now to register the product across ​sub-Saharan Africa, and we expect registrations from as early as this calendar year," CEO Stephen Saad told investors a ​day after reporting its earnings.

MOUNJARO DRIVING DEMAND ‌FOR GLP-1 DRUGS

Mounjaro, launched in South Africa late in 2024, has driven surging demand for weight-loss drugs, pushing ⁠the GLP-1 market to about 2.2 billion rand ($133.64 million) and still growing, Saad said.

The market's value has tripled in 18 months, with Mounjaro's share more than ⁠doubling to 52% at the end of January from 21% in the quarter ended ​April 2025, helped largely by regulatory approval for chronic weight management, Saad added.

He expects sales of Mounjaro to be over 1.3 billion rand ($78.97 million) in the year ‌through June.

"It will be the quickest brand to reach a billion rand sales in the South African private ‌market," he said.

In South Africa, the U.S. drugmaker Lilly competes with Denmark's Novo ⁠Nordisk, which makes Wegovy and ‌Ozempic and has indicated ​plans to expand into Africa following its South Africa launch of Wegovy.

($1 = 16.4625 rand)

(Reporting by Nqobile Dludla; Editing by ‌Bernadette Baum)

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