Aspen Pharmacare to capitalise on GLP-1 demand in sub-Saharan Africa
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, capitalising on soaring regional demand for obesity treatments.
A pharmacist displays a box of Mounjaro, a tirzepatide injection drug used for treating type 2 diabetes, made by Lilly at Rock Canyon Pharmacy in Provo, Utah, US. Image credit: Reuters/George Frey
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 on 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, launched in South Africa late in 2024, has driven surging demand for weight-loss drugs, pushing the GLP-1 market to about R2.2bn 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 R1.3bn 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 US 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.