African Pharmaceutical Company Eyes Weight-Loss Drug Expansion Across Continent

South African drugmaker Aspen Pharmacare plans to seek regulatory approval for Eli Lilly's popular weight-loss medication Mounjaro throughout sub-Saharan Africa within the year. The company's CEO announced the expansion strategy following strong sales performance in South Africa, where the drug has rapidly captured market share.

A major pharmaceutical company based in South Africa is working to bring Eli Lilly’s highly successful weight-loss medication Mounjaro to countries across sub-Saharan Africa, potentially as soon as this year.

Aspen Pharmacare’s chief executive Stephen Saad announced the expansion plans on Wednesday, highlighting the growing regional appetite for obesity treatments. The company is positioning itself as a crucial manufacturing and distribution ally for international drug companies looking to tap into one of the world’s remaining major unexplored markets for GLP-1 weight-loss medications.

These specialized weight-loss treatments remain largely unavailable throughout the African continent, creating significant growth opportunities while also testing how rapidly such medications can reach nations with lower average incomes.

Following successful registration in South Africa, Saad explained to investors that “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.”

The weight-loss drug market has experienced explosive growth since Mounjaro’s South African debut in late 2024. According to Saad, the medication has sparked unprecedented demand, driving the overall GLP-1 market value to approximately 2.2 billion rand (equivalent to $133.64 million) with continued expansion expected.

Market values have increased threefold over just 18 months, with Mounjaro’s market dominance more than doubling from 21% in the quarter ending April 2025 to 52% by January’s close. This dramatic growth was significantly boosted by regulatory clearance for chronic weight management applications, Saad noted.

The CEO projects Mounjaro sales will exceed 1.3 billion rand ($78.97 million) during the fiscal year ending in June. Saad emphasized the medication’s remarkable commercial success, stating: “It will be the quickest brand to reach a billion rand sales in the South African private market.”

Within the South African market, Eli Lilly faces competition from Danish pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk, which produces the competing weight-loss drugs Wegovy and Ozempic. Novo Nordisk has also signaled intentions to broaden its African presence following its South African Wegovy launch.