South Africa’s Aspen Pharmacare said on Wednesday it had received regulatory approval in Brazil and South Africa for its generic injectable semaglutide, paving the way for launches in two key emerging markets.
Aspen is betting on generic versions of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk’s diabetes drug Ozempic and weight-loss treatment Wegovy, to drive growth in emerging markets and selected international markets.
READ: Africa becomes battleground for weight-loss drugs
The company said it expects to begin commercialising the product in Canada, Brazil and South Africa in the coming months after semaglutide lost patent protection, triggering a race among drugmakers to launch lower-cost versions.
In South Africa, sales of GLP-1 medicines have grown to nearly R3 billion ($182 million), with Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro accounting for more than half of the market, according to Aspen, highlighting strong demand for obesity and diabetes treatments.
READ: GLP-1 crackdown leaves patients caught between and safety
Aspen is Lilly’s distributor for Mounjaro in sub-Saharan Africa.
The company is sourcing the active pharmaceutical ingredient from third-party suppliers, including India’s Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories for the Canadian market.
- Aspen Pharmacare received regulatory approval in Brazil and South Africa for its generic injectable semaglutide.
- The approvals enable Aspen to launch generic versions of semaglutide in key emerging markets.
- Aspen plans to begin commercialising the product in Canada, Brazil, and South Africa in the coming months.
- In South Africa, sales of GLP-1 medicines have reached nearly R3 billion ($182 million), with Eli Lilly's Mounjaro holding more than half the market.
- Aspen sources the active pharmaceutical ingredient from third-party suppliers, including Dr. Reddy's Laboratories for the Canadian market.
South Africa's Aspen Pharmacare said on Wednesday it had received regulatory approval in Brazil and South Africa for its generic injectable semaglutide, paving the way for launches in two key emerging markets.
Aspen is betting on generic versions of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk's diabetes drug Ozempic and weight-loss treatment Wegovy, to drive growth in emerging markets and selected international markets.
READ: Africa becomes battleground for weight-loss drugs
The company said it expects to begin commercialising the product in Canada, Brazil and South Africa in the coming months after semaglutide lost patent protection, triggering a race among drugmakers to launch lower-cost versions.
In South Africa, sales of GLP-1 medicines have grown to nearly R3 billion ($182 million), with Eli Lilly's Mounjaro accounting for more than half of the market, according to Aspen, highlighting strong demand for obesity and diabetes treatments.
READ: GLP-1 crackdown leaves patients caught between and safety
Aspen is Lilly's distributor for Mounjaro in sub-Saharan Africa.
The company is sourcing the active pharmaceutical ingredient from third-party suppliers, including India's Dr. Reddy's Laboratories for the Canadian market.
