Lilly to launch Mounjaro in rival Novo Nordisk’s home country: report

Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) is reportedly preparing to launch its drug Mounjaro in Denmark, the home country of its leading rival in the weight-loss drug market, Novo Nordisk (NVO).

Lilly (LLY) plans to charge DKK 2,200 per month for the drug. Novo Nordisk (NVO) charges DKK 1,313 to 2,353 per month for its weight-loss drug Wegovy, according to Reuters.

The Danish healthcare system generally does not reimburse for weight-loss drugs. Denmark’s largest private health insurance provider stopped covering the drugs last year due to high demand, Reuters said.

Reuters added that the number of Wegovy users in Denmark rose from about 60K in January to 90K in August. Around 19% of Denmark’s approximately 6M people have a body mass index of 30 or higher.

Mounjaro is approved in the EU to help with weight-loss in people who have a BMI index of 30 or higher. The drug is also approved to treat diabetes.

Both Wegovy, also known as semaglutide, and Mounjaro, also known as tirzepatide, belong to a class of drugs known as GLP-1s. Lilly (LLY) markets tirzepatide for weight loss in the U.S. under the brand name Zepbound.

Lilly (LLY) plans to launch Mounjaro in Denmark next week. The product is already on the market in Sweden, Finland, the U.K., Poland, Spain, Switzerland and Germany, Reuters said.