South African company taking on Ozempic
Aspen has received regulatory approval for its new weight loss medication, with the South African pharmaceutical company set to take on Ozempic.
Aspen said it received approval from the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority for the indication for a once-weekly prescription-only treatment, Mounjaro (tirzepatide).
The medicine is an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for chronic weight management, effective October 2025.
Aspen initially launched Lilly’s Mounjaro for treating Type 2 diabetes in South Africa in December 2024.
However, the group noted that obesity is a chronic and progressive disease that currently impacts more than 1 billion people worldwide.
There is a projection of more than half of the global population living with obesity and being overweight by 2035.
South African patients and healthcare professionals can now look forward to accessing Mounjaro via Kwikpen, a multidose injector device.
The injection has now been launched for South African patients, which Aspen believes will offer help to patients with both Type 2 diabetes and weight loss management indications.
Aspen is thus looking to compete with the popular Ozempic drug, which has become a popular drug in the USA for weight loss.
Ozempic was initially designed to help manage blood sugar levels for type 2 diabetes.
However, it became a popular source for weight loss, as it affects hunger and satiety hormones in the brain, which makes people feel fuller and reduces their appetite.
In South Africa, Ozempic is currently only available as a type 2 diabetes medication and is not registered for weight loss.
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