(Bloomberg) -- Eli Lilly & Co. expects to start selling its highly popular weight-loss drug in Hong Kong as early as the end of this year, potentially making it the first of its kind to become available in the China region.
The company has gained the Hong Kong government approval to sell its tirzepatide injections — branded as Mounjaro — in a device called Kwikpen for both long-term weight management and type 2 diabetes, it said in a statement to Bloomberg News.
Lilly’s shot has already been approved in mainland China for weight loss and diabetes, but it remains unclear when it plans to launch the product in the country. Its rival Novo Nordisk A/S is already selling its diabetes drug in Hong Kong and mainland China, but its weight-loss version hasn’t been made available.
Bloomberg News previously reported about Lilly’s plan to launch Mounjaro in Hong Kong.
From Lilly’s Mounjaro or Zepbound to Novo’s Wegovy, weight-loss drugs that have been tested as highly effective are flying off shelves around the world, triggering a global shortage as supply remains limited. The launch in Hong Kong could fuel an instant spike in demand and even encourage customers from mainland China — where illegal copies of these shots are rampant — to visit the city for the shots.
Amid the global shortage, Novo has said it will limit initial sales of Wegovy in China, which approved the drug in June, to avoid disruption in supply to other markets. Novo’s Ozempic secured approval in China back in 2021 for type 2 diabetes, but many Chinese consumers looking to shed weight have been buying the product online and through the gray market as it contains the same ingredient, albeit at a lower dose, to help slim down.
Trials of Mounjaro showed that the drug, when accompanied by diet and exercise, can in some cases help with as much as 25% reduction in body weight, the company said in the statement. Side effects reported in at least 5% of patients include nausea, diarrhea, decreased appetite, vomiting, constipation, indigestion and stomach pain.
©2024 Bloomberg L.P.
