Aspen, Africa’s largest pharmaceutical company, could potentially help ease a growing shortage of the world’s hot-selling obesity medications, said CEO Stephen Saad recently, even while it ramps up vaccine production and boosts production of anaesthetics.
Aspen, which signed a deal last year to distribute and promote Eli Lilly’s blockbuster diabetes drug Mounjaro throughout Southern Africa, has the capacity to boost availability of the most in-demand shots globally, he added.
This could take the form of so-called fill and finish services, where the drug is packaged for use.
News24 reports that Lilly and Denmark’s Novo Nordisk have been cashing in on growing demand for new obesity and diabetes medication, but they could have sold even more had there not been severe supply constraints.
In the future, Aspen also sees an opportunity to make both glucagon-like peptide 1 diabetes drugs and the higher dose obesity medicines at its main facility in South Africa, Saad said.
Aspen is already partnering with global pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies for niche products in emerging markets.
Its deal with Lilly followed a $280m agreement in August with Viatris to buy a portfolio of products, including Viagra.
Saad said this isn’t happening at the expense of a drive to make more vaccines in Africa, nor will it hinder Aspen’s anaesthetics line in South Africa.
The group earlier switched focus from making generic medicines to producing so-called steriles, including anaesthetics, to tap a higher-value market.
“We’ve put all our bets into building these facilities globally, and the active pharmaceutical ingredient capacities as well,” he said. “If you are looking at what will really drive Aspen now, it’s to fill capacity at these sterile facilities – we are at an inflection point in our growth.”
Meeting the African Union’s target for 60% of the vaccines used on the continent to be made locally by 2040 will require accelerated production by all African manufacturers, Saad added. African countries depend on foreign suppliers for more than 90% of its shots, with the bulk of the demand for childhood vaccines.
Producing more locally would also create many thousands of jobs for African pharmacists, biologists and innovators.
Reuters reports that most doses of Eli Lilly’s diabetes drug Mounjaro and weight-loss drug Zepbound would be in limited supply through the second quarter of this year because of increased demand, according to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Both drugs had limited availability for the 5mg, 7.5mg, 10mg, 12.5mg and 15mg doses, shows its website. The 2.5mg doses for the treatments were listed as available.
Previously, some doses of both the drugs were expected to be available in limited quantities until April, while doses of Mounjaro have been available in limited amounts since February.
The 1.5 mg and 4.5 mg doses of Trulicity, another diabetes drug by Lilly, will also be available in limited amounts up until this month, also due to increased demand.
“While we anticipate limited availability in the near term, we expect our investments in manufacturing and supply capacity to progressively increase production of our medicines this year and beyond,” said a Lilly spokesperson, advised patients to plan ahead for refills.
Separately, Lilly announced last week that tirzepatide – the active ingredient in both Mounjaro and Zepbound – helped ease symptoms of a common sleep-related breathing disorder across two late-stage studies.
Reuters – Most of Lilly's Mounjaro and Zepbound doses in limited supply, FDA says
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Aspen and Lilly seal drug deal for SA
SA stocks of diabetes drug drained after global weight loss frenzy
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Eli Lilly tightens diabetes drug access, frustrates obese patients
Global race heats up for weight-loss drug pill