Mounjaro set for launch in Korea this month

Preparing to challenge Wegovy

Lilly Korea has strategized to handle distribution directly…undergoing the final negotiation with a wholesalers located in Seoul metropolitan area and other regions

Priced at KRW 278,000 for 2.5mg dose, KRW 369,000 for 5mg dose…will subsequently launch higher-dose formulations

Eli Lilly Korea's diabetes and obesity treatment, Mounjaro, is set to launch in mid-August.

 

Therefore, it will compete against Novo Nordisk's Wegovy.

 

Lilly plans to handle Mounjaro's distribution directly, a strategy that differentiates it from Novo Nordisk, which is currently seeking co-promotion partners.

 

According to the distribution industry on August 8, Lilly Korea plans to launch Mounjaro in Korea this month.

 

The company has organized its own sales and marketing teams and is entering the Korean market through its existing network of distributors.

 

The launch is expected to take place in the third week of August.

 

The domestic supply price for Mounjaro is reportedly around KRW 278,000 for the 2.5mg dose, KRW 369,000 for the 5mg dose, and KRW 521,377 for the 7.5mg and 10mg doses.

 

The initial launch will include only the 2.5mg and 5mg formulations.

 

Mounjaro is a once-weekly subcutaneous injection.

 

Treatment begins with a 2.5mg dose, with the dosage increasing every four weeks.

 

The maximum dose is 15mg.

 

An official from Lilly Korea stated, "We are preparing for the launch of Mounjaro in Korea in the third week of August.

 

We plan to release only the 2.5mg and 5mg doses initially, but we will supply higher-dose formulations, including 7.5mg, 10mg, 12.5mg, and 15mg, without disruption to meet patient demand."

Obesity drugs Wegovy, Zepbound, and Saxenda

Lilly Korea and Novo Nordisk have adopted different approaches to distributing Mounjaro and Wegovy.

 

Lilly Korea has recently begun contract discussions with over 30 pharmaceutical distributors, including the largest domestic distributor, Ji-O-Young.

 

These negotiations are reportedly in the final stages, with discussions underway with 12 to 15 distributors in the Seoul metropolitan area and 10 to 14 in other regions.

 

For Mounjaro's distribution, Lilly Korea has selected a model in which distributors directly supply healthcare institutions.

 

The company will only be involved in setting the supply price, leaving the actual transaction price to the discretion of the distributors.

 

However, a specific price guide has been established to ensure the product isn't sold "too expensively or too cheaply." Having prior experience in supplying GLP-1 drugs, such as Trulicity, in Korea, Lilly Korea believes it can maintain its competitive edge with this direct distribution model.

 

Novo Nordisk, on the other hand, currently entrusts the nationwide distribution of Wegovy to a foreign-based pharmaceutical distributor, Zuellig Pharma, with supplies also handled by different distributors, such as Bluemtech.

 

Recent reports suggest that Novo Nordisk and domestic pharmaceutical company Chong Kun Dang may enter a co-promotion agreement for Wegovy.

 

Chong Kun Dang has previous experience selling the obesity drug Qsymia from Alvogen Korea.

 

However, according to the company, no final decision has been made.

 

The market is focused on how much Mounjaro will impact Wegovy's dominance.

 

Even with delays in its official domestic launch, Wegovy rapidly captured the market through various channels.

 

According to market research firm IQVIA, Wegovy's sales in the first quarter of this year reached KRW 79.4 billion, accounting for a 73.2% share of the total obesity drug market.

 

Wegovy, a GLP-1 monotherapy containing semaglutide, gained immediate attention following its launch in Korea in October 2024.

 

Despite its high price, demand for prescriptions surged due to its significant weight loss effects.

 

Wegovy quickly rose to the top of the obesity drug market with sales of KRW 60.3 billion in the fourth quarter of last year.

 

The obesity drug market size in the third quarter of last year was KRW 47.4 billion, but it skyrocketed by 97.9% to KRW 93.8 billion in just one quarter with the launch of Wegovy.

 

Mounjaro Demonstrates Superior Weight Loss Effectiveness Over Wegovy Mounjaro is a new diabetes drug developed by Lilly.

 

This treatment, a GIP/GLP-1 receptor dual agonist, works by acting on both Glucose-dependent Insulinotropic Polypeptide (GIP) receptors and Glucagon-like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptors.

 

This mechanism promotes insulin secretion, improves insulin resistance, and reduces glucagon secretion, resulting in a decrease in blood sugar levels before and after meal.

 

Major causes of reduced incretin in diabetic and obese patients are decreased GLP-1 secretion and impaired GIP insulin-stimulating effect.

 

GLP-1 and GIP are hormones responsible for two-thirds of the post-meal insulin response.

 

Treatments for diabetes and obesity

In Korea, Mounjaro is approved as an adjunct to diet and exercise to improve glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes.

 

It is also approved for chronic weight management in obese adults (initial BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²) or overweight adults (initial BMI ≥ 27 kg/m² to < 30 kg/m²) with at least one weight-related comorbidity (e.g., hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, or cardiovascular disease), as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.

 

Mounjaro has the advantage of not only controlling blood sugar but also demonstrating excellent weight loss effects.

 

Mounjaro proved its weight loss efficacy through the Phase 3 SURMOUNT-1 clinical trial, conducted in obese or overweight adults with at least one comorbidity but without diabetes.

 

Notably, Mounjaro demonstrated superior weight loss effects in SURMOUNT-5, a direct comparative clinical trial against Wegovy.

 

The results of the Phase 3 trial showed that the mean weight loss percentage at 72 weeks for the Mounjaro treatment group (10mg or 15mg) was 20.2%, which was a greater improvement compared to the 13.7% for the Wegovy treatment group (1.7mg or 2.4mg).

 

Having confirmed its weight loss effects in clinical trials for Mounjaro, Lilly launched Zepbound, an obesity treatment with the same active ingredient, in the U.S.

 

market in November 2023.

 

In Korea, both the diabetes and obesity indications will be marketed under the single product name, Mounjaro.

 

Lilly Korea plans to apply for insurance reimbursement for its Mounjaro indication for type 2 diabetes.