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(Yicai) Jan. 3 -- US pharma giant Eli Lilly’s Tirzepatide injection for blood sugar control and weight loss is now available for sale in China and prescriptions have already started to be issued at hospitals in Beijing and Shanghai.
The Tirzepatide injection, which trades under the name Mounjaro, is now on the market in China, Eli Lilly China said yesterday. The drug was given the greenlight by Chinese regulators to be prescribed for blood sugar control in May last year and for weight loss in July.
Tirzepatide is retailing at CNY1,758 (USD240) per box in Shanghai, much more than rival Novo Nordisk’s diet drug Semaglutide which is already on the market. One box of Tirzepatide includes four 2.5 milligram injections, which is approximately one month’s supply. The jabs are not included in the country’s medical insurance program and patients must pay for them themselves.
There is uneven pricing at the moment as the supply chain has not been fully established leading to unavailability in some hospitals, Yicai learned. As a result, some e-commerce platforms are pricing the new drug at around CNY2,250 (USD308) per box while some private clinics are charging as much as CNY2,380 per box.
“Due to supply fluctuations, there may be delays in delivery,” a company representative told Yicai. "Whether the injection will be available online depends on pharmacies’ logistical arrangements. However, most reputable pharmacies tend to exercise caution when selling cold-chain medications on e-commerce platforms."
The highest approved dosage of Tirzepatide available in China is 10mg, and the higher 15mg dosage has not yet been approved for sale, Yicai noted.
"The four jab treatment currently available is sufficient to meet the needs of the vast majority of patients. We will consider introducing higher dosages based on future demand," the person added.
Tirzepatide was first approved for sale in the US in May 2022 for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes. This was then expanded to include weight loss in November 2023.
Sales of Tirzepatide as a diabetes and weight-loss drug accounted for 16 percent of Eli Lilly’s revenue in 2023 at USD5.3 billion, according to the Indianapolis-based company's annual report.
Editors: Tang Shihua, Kim Taylor