
Related



High cholesterol and insulin resistance are rising among young South Africans – what that means for public health
Themba Titus Sigudu 16 Jan 2026



Top stories






More news












The greenlight follows Aspen's earlier approval and launch of the drug, chemically called tirzepatide, in South Africa last December as a treatment for Type 2 diabetes.
Aspen, a sales agent for Lilly, will launch Mounjaro for weight management in South Africa as an easy-to-use KwikPen injector device.
The company has been betting on Mounjaro's imminent launch to compete against Novo Nordisk's rival product, Wegovy, which the Danish drugmaker had debuted in South Africa in August, eight months after Eli Lilly.
The approval by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority positions Aspen to tap into the booming weight-loss drug market, which is estimated to reach at least $100bn by the end of the decade, as global demand for obesity treatments continues to soar.

Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world's largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day.
Go to: https://www.reuters.com/