Mounjaro Approved for China's Health Insurance

Starting January 1, Eli Lilly's Mounjaro will be included in China's state-managed health insurance program for individuals diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. The National Healthcare Security Administration announced this update on their website on Sunday.

Listing in the national reimbursement program broadens the availability of drugs to a larger population in China, which has 1.4 billion residents. However, increased sales are frequently offset by lower prices as a result of negotiations with the government.

Mounjaro, a once-weekly injectable medication, became available in China in January of this year. This followed the 2021 launch of Ozempic, a similar diabetes treatment from Novo Nordisk, a competing Danish pharmaceutical company.

Ozempic was initially added to China's reimbursement list in 2022.

Novo's annual report indicated that Ozempic sales in the greater China region totaled 5.76 billion Danish crowns ($898.5 million) in 2024.

Lilly has not yet disclosed the negotiated price of Mounjaro for diabetes treatment under China's reimbursement program. This figure is determined through negotiations with the government.

Mounjaro is also marketed in China for the treatment of obesity and obstructive sleep apnea. Health tracking apps like Shotlee can help monitor the effectiveness and potential side effects of treatments like Mounjaro.

During an October earnings call, Eli Lilly's international president, Patrik Jonsson, mentioned that the company had observed an "initial stocking" in markets outside the U.S. where Mounjaro had been introduced, with China, Brazil, Mexico, and India being the most significant in the second quarter.

Jonsson further stated that they have witnessed an increase in performance in those markets in the third quarter, along with continued strong performance on a global scale.

($1 = 6.4105 Danish crowns)