Eli Lilly has secured approval from the Hong Kong government to market its tirzepatide injections, known as Mounjaro, for both long-term weight management and the treatment of type 2 diabetes. The drug will be administered via a Kwikpen device.
Tirzepatide, the active ingredient in both Mounjaro and Zepbound (Lilly's dedicated weight-loss drug in the U.S. market), is poised to enter the Hong Kong market as early as the end of this year. This approval follows the green light from Chinese regulators in July for tirzepatide as a weight-loss treatment, escalating the competition with Novo Nordisk in a key Asian market.
Market Dynamics
Both Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk are aggressively scaling up production to meet the anticipated demand in the weight-loss market, which is projected to reach at least $100 billion globally by the end of the decade. Their respective obesity treatments belong to the class of drugs initially developed for diabetes, known as GLP-1 agonists.
This approval in Hong Kong marks another step in Eli Lilly's expansion in the global market for weight management and metabolic disorders, setting the stage for increased competition and innovation in the field.
