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

By Nqobile Dludla

JOHANNESBURG, March 4 (Reuters) - Aspen Pharmacare APNJ.J aims to secure sub‑Saharan African approval for Eli Lilly's LLY.N 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 NOVOb.CO, which makes Wegovy and Ozempic and has indicated plans to expand into Africa following its South Africa launch of Wegovy.

($1 = 16.4625 rand)