Aspen Pharmacare has received a regulatory shot in the arm after the SA Health Products Regulatory Authority (Sahpra) approved its diabetes treatment drug, Mounjaro (tirzepatide), as a chronic weight management treatment.
Mounjaro has taken off with SA consumers since Aspen took it to market a year ago, with the group’s CEO Stephen Saad telling Business Day last month he expects the drug to rake in R1bn in sales in the next few years.
Sahpra approved a new indication for the once-weekly prescription-only treatment as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for chronic weight management, effective from October, the group said.
The approval comes as obesity is on the rise in SA. Recent research by the Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism shows that while diabetes is the top killer among SA women, obesity is also a dangerous disease. About one in four SA adults is obese, and almost as many are overweight, it said.
Business Day previously reported that, according to the 2016 SA Demographic and Health Survey, about half the population has an unhealthy weight, with 68% of women and 31% of men classified as overweight or obese.
Aspen launched Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro in December 2024 for the treatment of type 2 diabetes in SA.
Obesity is a chronic and progressive disease that affects more than 1-billion people worldwide, with projections showing that more than half the global population will be living with obesity or overweight by 2035, Aspen said.
The Mounjaro KwikPen pre-filled injection has been launched for SA patients, marking a new level of ease and accessibility for those requiring regular administration of Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes and weight loss management indications, as advised by healthcare professionals, the company said.
Reuters reported previously that Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk introduced its weight-loss drug Wegovy in SA in August, marking its debut in Africa.
Novo already sells Ozempic in SA for diabetes treatment.
Update: 13 October 2025: This story has been updated with new information.
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