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Lilly’s Mounjaro (tirzepatide), a competitor to Novo Nordisk’s popular obesity treatment Wegovy (semaglutide), is expected to launch first in Korea as a vial injection, according to industry sources.
Observers are watching closely to see if Mounjaro can overcome its disadvantage of dosing convenience compared to Wegovy’s prefilled pen and establish a strong foothold in the Korean obesity treatment market.
The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) is reviewing the approval of Mounjaro's vial formulation, while Lilly is reportedly planning to launch it in Korea ahead of the prefilled pen, which had already been approved.
The vial formulation was selected as the next best option due to global shortages delaying the supply of the prefilled pen formulation, sources said.
Lilly's strategy for Mounjaro in Korea differs somewhat from its global approach. While tirzepatide is marketed globally as Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes and Zepbound for obesity, in Korea, all indications are combined under a single product name, Mounjaro.
Mounjaro was first approved by the MFDS in June 2023 for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, with its indication expanded to include obesity in July 2024.
Mounjaro faces strong competition from Novo Nordisk's Wegovy in the Korean obesity treatment market. Notably, Mounjaro (Zepbound) is reported to be more effective in weight loss than Wegovy, which has been hailed as a "miracle obesity drug" and has dominated the global market. Despite its later launch, Mounjaro is rapidly catching up to Wegovy in sales globally.
As a result, Mounjaro (Zepbound) is in short supply globally, prompting Lilly to produce vial injections to help address the shortage. Vial injections can be delivered to consumers more quickly and at a lower cost than prefilled pens.
Lilly Korea plans to launch Mounjaro’s vial formulation in Korea first, rather than delaying the release until the prefilled pen formulation is more widely available. However, it remains to be seen how well Mounjaro will perform in the Korean obesity treatment market with this suboptimal approach.
Vial injections are less convenient to administer than prefilled pens. Patients must manually transfer the correct dose of medication into the syringe, which requires extra training. Additionally, self-administering the medication with a visible needle can be less palatable for some. Besides the lack of portability, there are also safety concerns associated with handling needles.
However, Korean healthcare professionals have welcomed Mounjaro's vialized formulation. They believe that the less convenient administration method will likely mean that only patients who truly need the drug will use Mounjaro, potentially reducing the risk of abuse.
In addition, the MFDS is reviewing Mounjaro's approval for a sleep apnea indication. Korean medical experts note that while Wegovy is a prescription drug in Korea, there have been numerous cases of illegal trade and misuse among the general public. They also point out that Mounjaro has indications beyond obesity, such as type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea, which could raise awareness or concern as a prescription drug.
However, some sources said Mounjaro may face disadvantages when it comes to health insurance coverage.
Korea's health insurance generally does not cover obesity drugs. In the case of Novo Nordisk's semaglutide, the drug is divided into two formulations: Wegovy for obesity and Ozempic for type 2 diabetes. Ozempic benefits from being available in a lower dose than Wegovy, which allows it to be reimbursed at a lower price.
However, in the case of Mounjaro, all indications are grouped together, meaning that even the type 2 diabetes indication may face challenges in securing reimbursement.
It remains to be seen whether Mounjaro can achieve a smooth entry into the Korean market amidst this complex situation.
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Kim Yun-mi kym@docdocdoc.co.kr
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